In a rare and terrifying event, an 18-year-old Jersey Shore lifeguard was struck by a beach umbrella. She says she is thankful to be alive and is resolved to go back to the beach after she is well.
Alex told ABC7 Thursday that the metal rod just missed a major artery by one centimeter. Alex requested that her last name not be used.
The rod, which was an inch thick, went through her armpit and out of her back. After the incident on Wednesday morning, she was stitched up and had surgery.
Alex told the news station, “I was really fortunate where it hit me because it just went through my muscles and missed every major blood vessel.” Therefore, there was no significant harm. In fact, it could have been lot worse.
As a lifeguard at Asbury Park, Alex holds a fragment of the umbrella handle that passed through her body.ABC-7 provided the image.
The event happened at the city’s Third Avenue Beach on Wednesday at approximately 9:30 a.m. The wind had increased when she was on the second step of the lifeguard station, setting up the six-foot-long umbrella.
Joe Bongiovanni, the beach safety supervisor for Asbury Park, told NJ Advance Media on Thursday that she was putting the umbrella up, slipped it in the hole, and before she could fasten it, a blast of wind came up.
Alex lost her balance and fell off the stand after being dragged backward when she reached for the umbrella. After landing on top of her, the umbrella passed through her upper arm and out of her upper back.
According to Bongiovanni, the shaft passed through the lat muscle on her left side after piercing adipose tissue beneath her left tricep.
Alex was impaled by the beach umbrella and was taken to an ambulance by emergency personnel.ABC-7 provided the image.
No one observed if the 18-year-old was in agony, according to the beach supervisor.
You wouldn’t be aware of it. She did not whimper or take any action. As they cut off the umbrella to move her, she chatted and laughed with us, according to Bongiovanni.
Although the teenager admitted that a full recovery could take about two months, she stated that she hopes to resume her lifeguarding duties this summer.
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Anthony G. Attrino
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