It all went down in Ocean City, Maryland, a bit of a beach town for those in the area, who frequently see the wind carry away the umbrellas that are rented out nearby. It isn't clear just how far into the woman's torso the umbrella pierced.
This time, things went a lot worse than the renter having to put down their book and chase it down. "It went tossing down the beach and struck a woman," said Jessica Waters, a spokesperson for the town.
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"Fortunately, it was not life-threatening. But it was significant enough that our EMS personnel didn't feel comfortable removing it. So what they did was actually cut the top part of the umbrella off so she could be transported," Waters said.
The woman was transported to a hospital by a state police helicopter after a lifeguard trekking down the beach in an ATV quickly spotted her.
The woman is in stable condition and expected to recover.
"Witnesses said one gust lifted the umbrella," Waters said. "This is just a perfect example of how if you're not cautious enough, an umbrella can turn tragic pretty instantly."
Waters said that beach goers are supposed to plant their umbrellas 18-24 inches below the sand and close them when they're done with them.
According to WTOP, a similar incident was reported the week prior in New Jersey, although it wasn't so bad; the umbrella only caught the woman's foot.
