A gust of wind uprooted a 6-foot beach umbrella that flew through the air and impaled a woman’s leg on Alabama’s Gulf Coast this week.
The horrific injury, which happened about 48 hours before Hurricane Idalia crashed into neighboring Florida’s Gulf Coast, sent the woman to a trauma hospital, City of Orange Beach Fire Department Deputy Chief Jeff Smith told USA TODAY.
“We train for these type of injurers, but I’ve been employed here 27 years and we’ve never have had, to my knowledge, anyone impaled by a beach umbrella,” Smith said Wednesday.
‘A strong gust of wind’
Firefighters responded to the beach off Perdido Beach Boulevard just after 9 a.m. Monday after getting a report of a traumatic injury.
The accident happened in front of a private condominium while an attendant was closing umbrellas lined along the beach due to high winds, Smith said.
Arriving crews reported finding a woman impaled through the lower leg by a beach umbrella that had been “dislodged by a strong gust of wind.”
Bracing for Hurricane Idalia:Hurricane go bag essentials to grab as Idalia carves out path toward Georgia and Florida
Umbrella shaft cut off on each side of her leg
The woman was conscious and alert at the scene, officials said.
“From what I heard from staff, she was pretty calm and was in a standing position when it hit her,” Smith said.
Paramedics stabilized the woman and were forced “to cut the umbrella shaft on each side of the leg for transport,” the department reported.
The woman was taken in stable condition by a medical helicopter to a trauma center in Mobile, Smith said.
She was expected to recover.
When crews later opened the umbrella, Smith said, it spanned about 6 feet in diameter.
Waffle House index:5 locations shuttered as Hurricane Idalia slams Florida
About 48 hours before Idalia
The accident happened about 48 hours before Idalia slammed into
“Please don’t put yourself or our rescuers at unnecessary risk – stay out of the water!” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
On Wednesday, Smith said the surf along Orange Beach was still rough and the city had double red flags flying alerting people not to enter the water.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior correspondent for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund.