Central Coast families consider umbrella safety at the beach

The sun was out in Capitola, Saturday, and so were the umbrellas. They are a common must-have for beach-goers as temperatures rise and Summer approaches. “They’re just fun to hang out under. They’ll keep a little of the sun off of you so you don’t get burned,” said clerk at Free to Ride Surf Shop, Lance Campbell.

Although umbrellas are meant to protect you from harmful, UV rays, they are now seen as a danger, across the country. In 2016, a Virginia Beach woman was struck and killed by an umbrella swept away by the wind. This is an accident, Campbell said he doesn’t want to see happen on the Central Coast. “Anybody who’s ever walked around with an umbrella on a rainy day, in the wind, knows they tend to fly up and get out of control. The same thing can happen on the beach,” said Campbell.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said around 3,000 people go to the hospital, every year, after accidents involving umbrellas. Campbell said he gives advice to people who come to Free to Ride Surf Shop to buy umbrellas. “Anchor your umbrella so that it’s not facing into the wind. You want the wind blowing behind you, so it doesn’t get carried away,” said Campbell.

The umbrellas that do get carried away caught the attention of senators in Virginia and New Jersey. They reached out to the U .S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to question the current safety standards. For now, Central Coast families said they will continue to take precautions themselves.

“W e were watching the way the wind was blowing so we don’t have it turned the way the wind can catch it,” said one visitor.

“I got the one that has a screw thing in the bottom. It seems to be working really good,” said another visitor.