Overview

• The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. June 25 near Third Avenue in Asbury Park when a gust of wind caught the umbrella as the lifeguard set up for the day
• The roughly six-foot-long metal stake pierced her upper left shoulder and exited through her back before fellow lifeguards and firefighters provided first aid
• Asbury Park Fire Department responders used a bandsaw to shorten the protruding pole into manageable segments so she could fit into an ambulance
• The unidentified lifeguard remained alert throughout the ordeal and was taken in stable condition to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune
• Safety officials note that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports about 3,000 annual umbrella-related injuries, underscoring the need to secure beach canopies properly