Woman Impaled By Ocean City Beach Umbrella ID'd As Jill Mendygral; Family 'Deeply Grateful' For First Responders
OCEAN CITY, Md. (WJZ) -- The 46-year-old Pennsylvania woman who suffered trauma to her chest after being impaled by a beach umbrella on an Ocean City beach has been identified as Jill Mendygral.
MORE: Woman Impaled By Beach Umbrella In Ocean City
The horrifying incident happened on July 22 on the beach at 54th Street. Ocean City Beach Patrol Capt. Butch Arbin says lifeguards and other beachgoers held the umbrella steady until firefighters cut off the wooden pole. They left a piece of the pole in her chest to avoid causing more damage.
"It went in from her left side, went a little bit across her chest below the collar bone, like a big splinter, like an inch-and-a-half splinter," said. Arbin.
A statement was released July 24 by her daughter, Aubriana Brace, in response to media requests for comment:
"On behalf of my sister, my brother, our family and my mother, we want to thank all those who helped and responded to the horrific event that happened to my mother that caused her to suffer excruciating pain and trauma requiring emergency surgery and continued medical treatment.
We are so very grateful to the Maryland State Police and the doctors and nurses at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center for their care and compassion. Our family is deeply grateful for everything they did for my mom.
At this time, our family asks for privacy for my mom as she regains her strength after undergoing extensive surgery and receives the proper medical treatment she will need following this frightful experience so that she can continue recovering in peace. We love our mother dearly and look forward to having her back home with us. Thank you."
Mendygral was flown to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
The incident follows a similar incident in New Jersey last week when a woman was impaled in the ankle by a wind-driven umbrella. Although these incidents are rare, Ocean City beachgoers are taking extra precautions to stay safe.
"The umbrellas are way too dangerous," says Doug Craggs, a beach visitor. "They can dig them as far as they want, but if the wind catches it at a certain angle they're gonna go flying and they could hit anybody."
"This is the first time in 30 years that I didn't set my own umbrella. I trusted the experts to do it for me today," says beachgoer Steven Harlow.
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