Woman impaled by umbrella while sunbathing at Florida beach: police

Cocoa Beach police were alerted to the freak accident

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A woman was recently impaled by an umbrella while sunbathing at a Florida beach, police say.

The Cocoa Beach Police Department confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital. A spokesperson explained that a woman and her family were sitting by the water in Cocoa Beach when the freak accident happened.

For an unknown reason, the group's rental umbrella dislodged from the sand and impaled the woman's leg, police said. Authorities were promptly alerted to the scene.

The official also disclosed that first responders needed to use bolt-cutters to remove the umbrella's canopy from the pole, as the umbrella kept moving while lodged into the woman's leg.

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Split image of stock beach umbrella and Cocoa Beach pier

A woman was recently impaled while relaxing on a Florida beach, according to police. (iStock)

The Cocoa Beach Fire Department and Brevard County Fire Rescue were contacted and assisted the woman. It is unknown how the accident occurred or what the victim's current medical status is.

"Although officers responded, the matter was a medical call and handled by the Cocoa Beach Fire Department and Brevard County Fire Rescue," the police spokesperson said. "We do not have any more information."

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Wide ground shot of Cocoa Beach guests, umbrellas

Beachgoers gather on July 29, 2023 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. (Paul Hennesy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Although freak accidents with beach umbrellas are uncommon, they are not unheard of. In 2023, a woman in South Carolina was killed after a loose umbrella impaled her chest.

In 2019, a 13-year-old Florida boy vacationing in Massachusetts was hospitalized after being impaled by an umbrella on the beach.

Aerial of Cocoa Beach pier

An aerial view of beachgoers near the pier on July 29, 2023 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. (Paul Hennesy/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the Cocoa Beach Fire Department and Brevard County Fire Rescue for more information, but did not immediately hear back. 

Andrea Vacchiano is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. You can follow her on X at @andrea_vacch or send story tips to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Authored by Andrea Vacchiano via FoxNews June 25th 2024