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Margaret ReynoldsBritish pensioner whose leg was pierced by a beach umbrella
Date of Birth: 01.01.1951
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- British Pensioner Impaled by Beach Umbrella
- The Incident
- Emergency Response
- Eyewitness Accounts
- Public Outcry
- Medical Condition
- Tragic Precedent
British Pensioner Impaled by Beach Umbrella
On a beach in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, a strong gust of wind lifted a pair of beach umbrellas into the air. One of the umbrellas impaled the leg of 67-year-old British tourist Margaret through and through.
The Incident
Margaret Reynolds was enjoying the beach when the rogue umbrella pierced her right ankle. The umbrella had reportedly been blown from the opposite side of the beach and did not belong to the victim.
Emergency Response
Local police chief Tommy Boyd stated that firefighters had to use bolt cutters to remove part of the umbrella from Reynolds' leg. She was then transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center by ambulance at 4:30 PM local time.
Eyewitness Accounts
One eyewitness took to social media to describe the incident. "The umbrella flew about five feet and hit the lady on the foot," wrote Instagram user @Ricky Z. "Two umbrellas took off in a strong gust. One went God knows where, the other right into her leg! Could have been me!"
Public Outcry
Other beachgoers commented on the post, expressing concerns about the incident. "The lifeguard should have made people close umbrellas because it was too windy," one commenter said. "This isn't driving a foot into gravel. This is sand, so put your damn umbrella down."
Medical Condition
As of early March 2018, no details on Reynolds' condition have been released by medical officials.
Tragic Precedent
In early March 2018, another woman died after being struck in the chest by a beach umbrella spike. An autopsy revealed that the 55-year-old victim had suffered chest muscle lacerations, thigh fractures, and a ruptured left ventricle.
Investigators determined that the umbrella had struck with approximately 110 MPa of force, reaching a speed of 22 mph due to high wind speeds.
