Beach umbrellas can be deadly and need to be safer, senator says

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - The beach umbrella is necessary to protect against the sun. But can be equally dangerous if it isn't set up properly.

Between 2010 and 2018, an estimated 2,800 people were rushed to emergency rooms after being injured from flying beach umbrellas. For example, a woman was killed in Virginia Beach in 2016 when an umbrella impaled her in the chest. Last year, a woman in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, was hurt when an umbrella pierced her leg.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said he believes beach umbrella safety lacks oversight, and he wants more to be done to prevent injuries.

"If the Consumer Product Safety Commission can provide guidance on how to properly secure furniture, surely they can determine what makes for a better, safer beach umbrella," Menendez said.

We talked to some beachgoers in Manasquan who said they fully support that effort.

The hope now is for the Consumer Product Safety Commission does more to ensure time on the beach is safe for everyone.