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Sure the government should get involved. I also want meteor resistant houses with metal roofs and all highways covered over with a metal roof. Meteors scare me to death and its the governments fault they don't protect us.
Weather-related accidents used to be called "acts of God". As that is now a "trigger" term, potentially causing one to flee to a safe-space, those acts are now attributed to those capable of monetary payout from a lawsuit. Terrible accidents happen - they might not make sense and can be tragic, but like Richard Hell said: "It's such a gamble when you get a face..."
The article simply included a file picture of a beach umbrella. Most beach umbrellas that I've seen are the larger size, though one could just as likely be impaled on a smaller beach umbrella or even a rain umbrella. Strong wind gusts can do strange things.
On Maui you can no longer rent that type of umbrella (at least from Snorkel Bobs which is where I go) due to concerns over liability.
We've learned lots of things over the years, usually the hard way, but we've made modern life safer. Sometimes it's government regulation that's needed, sometimes just common sense.
I agree these sorts of umbrellas should not be on a public beach.
Thank goodness, another voice of reason. Thanks for your post.
The article simply included a file picture of a beach umbrella. Most beach umbrellas that I've seen are the larger size, though one could just as likely be impaled on a smaller beach umbrella or even a rain umbrella. Strong wind gusts can do strange things.
Strong wind gusts don't do strange things. They do the same thing on a regular basis, i.e. they blow things around. If the item in question is shaped like an umbrella or a parachute, they are even more likely to be blown away.
Wind advisories are there for a reason—to protect the public.
I agree its a freak accident. I never before heard of anyone being impaled by a beach umbrella. For this to happen on her birthday, although sad, makes this event sound like 'the hand of fate' for her.
We have to look at the brighter side, she did not endure a long suffering disease and its treatment before meeting her doom. She wasn't tortured. I would personally hope to be so lucky as to meet with such a swift and unexpected end, and to be in the midst of celebrating something when it happens.
R.I.P.
And the icing on the birthday cake is when your death is so unusual or freaky that it gets national coverage!
I had not intended to make any such comment; however, did you click on the link and see the size and structure of that "beach" umbrella? How deeply into the sand was it staked? Was it perpendicular to the sand? Diagonal? Were there additional tie-downs? It doesn't resemble any beach umbrella I have seen for sale around here. In fact one of the most popular styles I see for use on a beach is more like a little hut, with a floor on which people sit. It is far less likely (with tie-downs) to fly off into the wind. And if it does, there is no sharp pole that could impale someone. Play shades is a type I have seen for small children, like the one below:
and there are larger ones for adults that fit several beach chairs on their floor. Again, they can't fly away easily and they don't use pointed poles.
Solar Guard sun shelters provide full sun protection, too, much better than a traditional umbrella.
I have even seen someone take their cat to the beach in the cat's own little sun shelter:
What were the winds on the day the woman was impaled?
There ought to be prohibitions against the use of the type of umbrella which caused the death on particularly windy days, and yes, obviously there needs to be some regulation about how the umbrella was set up or its size or something.
I would personally vote for sun shelters only, no large, pointed poles at all. Many people nap on the beach and would have no idea that a large pointed "javelin" was heading their way. No escape possible.
This poor woman died of a preventable—not a freak—accident.
Common wood spike-tip beach umbrella found at Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc.
Location: Subconscious Syncope, USA (Northeastern US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Gringo
It was a message from God.
Only if the message was, "Time to come home, my dear."
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