An American woman dies on the beach for a strange reason
Authorities in South Carolina, in the United States of America, said that a woman beachgoer died last Wednesday after being hit by a beach umbrella and stuck in the chest.
The wind carried the umbrella from the place where it was installed, to sink into her chest while she was on the "Garden City" beach, Hurry County Vice President Tamara Willard told local channel CBS.
Willard said the 63-year-old woman died about an hour later in hospital from trauma to the chest.
The Federal Safety Agency estimates that about 3,000 people are injured by beach umbrellas each year.
The agency said that the authorities are "working with a standard development organization in the hope of developing a standard that can help determine requirements for reliable and safe shore awnings and anchoring systems."
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia asked the Safety Agency to review safety rules for beach umbrellas and start a safety campaign after a 55-year-old Virginia woman was killed with a parachute in 2016.
According to a study published in the Journal of Safety Research in 2021, the majority of patients with beach and patio umbrella injuries treated in emergency departments were women over the age of 40.
The study said: "The most frequently reported injuries were lacerations, followed by bruises or abrasions, and injuries to internal organs. The largest portion of injuries was the head/neck, followed by the upper extremity."
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