Yesterday in South Carolina a woman was actually killed when she was impaled by a flying beach umbrella.

Here is the story:

Beach umbrella injuries, while not exactly common, numbered 2800 in the US, in the period 2010 to 2018.

I remember this happening when I was a child, staying at the beach.

HappyTrvlr, that must have been a shocking day for everyone but for young children in particular.

I did a little more research and learned that most of the estimated 300 - 350 injuries a year are thankfully not fatal, but they can be bad enough. Around here the 'tent' style shelters on the beach are more common, but there are plenty of 'patio' umbrellas with similar characteristics. They too can get dislodged in a gust of wind, and take off like a rocket.

Someone in the comments to the video notes that during the demonstration of 'how to put up an umbrella properly' (at t = 3:19) one can see in the background an umbrella pitched the wrong way (so as to catch the wind like a sail._)

Man loses an eye to a beach umbrella

https://www.wtvr.com/2016/03/21/impa...beach-umbrella

and another death, back in 2018

https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/5/17...ry-case-report