Overview

• Eighteen-year-old lifeguard Alex was setting up a six-foot beach umbrella at Asbury Park’s Third Avenue Beach on June 25 when a gust of wind pulled her off the stand and the stake pierced her left shoulder and exited her back.
• Fellow lifeguards provided first aid and Asbury Park Fire Department responders used a bandsaw to cut down the pole before she was transported conscious and alert to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for surgery.
• Alex was discharged from the hospital two days later in stable condition and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks before returning to work.
• She said the pole narrowly missed major blood vessels by mere centimeters, attributing her survival to quick emergency care and describing the incident as a freak accident.
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports about 3,000 annual injuries from windblown beach umbrellas, underscoring the need for proper anchoring and safety precautions.