Woman pierced on Ocean City, Maryland beach by unattended beach umbrella, officials say

OCEAN CITY, Md. - Officials say a woman was taken to the hospital after she was pierced by a beach umbrella in Ocean City, Maryland.

While the umbrella did not do serious damage, this is the second time this month that a person was struck by a beach umbrella.

Police say a London woman was impaled by a beach umbrella on the New Jersey shore last week.

Delmarvanow.com (The Daily Times in Salisbury, Maryland) reports Ocean City beach patrol said a woman was on the beach at 54th Street when she was injured Sunday afternoon. They say an unattended rental umbrella stabbed her skin in the upper left side of her chest.

Ocean City Beach Patrol Captain Butch Arbin said lifeguards and other beach patrons secured the umbrella so that it would not continue blowing around until firefighters arrived to cut the pole.

IAFF Local 4269, Ocean City Career Firefighter Paramedics Association says a Maryland State Police Helicopter flew in to transport the woman to the hospital.

The 46-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center, officials say. They say she sustained non-life-threatening injuries.