Lifeguard Impaled By Umbrella At Jersey Shore Beach

ASBURY PARK, NJ — Latest update to this story: Latest Status Of Jersey Shore Lifeguard Who Was Impaled By Umbrella A young woman working as a lifeguard was impaled by a beach umbrella Wednesday morning in Asbury Park.

The incident happened at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday on the Third Avenue beach, said Asbury Park Fire Department Chief Kevin Keddy.

The woman, 19, was sitting on top of her lifeguard chair when a gust of wind knocked her off the chair, causing her to fall on top of an umbrella pole, said another Asbury Park firefighter. The lifeguard chair stands about five feet off the ground.

The stake of the umbrella went through her upper left shoulder and came out her back, said Keddy.

"When we arrived, she was on the ground with the umbrella stake impaling her. There were many lifeguards surrounding her," said the fire chief, who was on the scene Wednesday morning.

The umbrella was about six feet in length. First responders had to use a saw to cut the umbrella at both ends so the woman could be taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, with the umbrella still impaled through her.

"We would never remove the pole. We followed standard protocol in this case," said the fire chief. "In 99 percent of cases like this, you try to leave the penetrating object in."

"She was conscious, alert and calm when she was taken to the hospital. Throughout the whole ordeal she was a real professional," he said.

Her condition is unknown.

This is not the first time someone has been injured by a beach umbrella on the Jersey Shore:

In July 2018 in Seaside Heights, a 67-year-old British tourist, a woman, was impaled in the ankle by a beach umbrella. The umbrella was suddenly blown by a gust of wind. It pierced her ankle and came out "five inches through the other side," according to media reports.

This is a developing story and will be updated.