4 tips for keeping your beach umbrella secure this summer
Sharks. Rip currents. Giant boulders.
This summer season is turning out to be hazardous for beachgoers across the country, but if you're thinking you'll be safe just as long as you stay on the sand, think again.
A woman in Maryland was impaled in her chest by a flying beach umbrella on Sunday, just a few days after part of another umbrella pierced a woman's ankle in New Jersey.
Both women were taken to hospitals and authorities said both were expected to recover. But the incidents highlight an important safety risk.
ABC News spoke to experts about how beachgoers can prevent such accidents. Ahead, here are their top four tips.
Use common sense when choosing an umbrella
On windy days, it's best not to use an umbrella on the beach at all, but if you really must, it's important that you choose the right kind, according to Jessica Waters, the communications manager of Ocean City, Maryland, where the woman was impaled by an umbrella Sunday.
"Make sure that you're not using an umbrella made of cheaper material, like a flimsy plastic umbrella," Waters said.
Bury the umbrella in at least 16 inches beneath the sand.
To prevent gusts of wind from turning your umbrella into a projectile, make sure its base is dug down at least 16 inches into the sand, Captain Julio Rodriguez, Santa Monica beach Ocean Life Guard told ABC News.
"You can either use a shovel to dig the hole deep enough to set the stake and pack it in, or once you drive the stake into the sand, rock it back and forth," he said. "That typically gets it in deeper into the sand."
Tilt the umbrella into the wind
There's a wrong direction and a right direction to angle your beach umbrella, Waters said.
"If you tilt the umbrella into the wind, it will prevent a gust from getting underneath the umbrella and sweeping the umbrella away," she explained.
Keep the beach stand operator informed
If you're renting an umbrella, don't just leave it behind when it's time to go home, Waters said.
"If you leave your umbrella at any time, please let the beach stand operator know so that it can be taken down," she added.
