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Visitor urges Belmar to post beach-umbrella safety signs after life-threatening injury
Summary
A visitor to the Belmar council meeting urged the borough to post warning signs and consider certified umbrella anchors after recounting a near-fatal injury from a windblown beach umbrella and citing new ASTM/Consumer Product Safety Commission guidance.
Edward Quigley told the council on April 25 that a windblown beach umbrella impaled his left eye and breached his brain cavity in 2015; he said he survived major surgery and has since worked with ASTM and the Consumer Product Safety Commission on a new safety standard for umbrella anchors.
Quigley asked the borough to post the standard warning label at beach access points and on lifeguard stands and offered to donate 12-by-18-inch signs to inform visitors: "No beach umbrella is safe without an adequate anchor device," he said, summarizing the testing work that produced ASTM F3681-24 and the Consumer Product Safety Commission guidance adopting it.
Why it matters: Quigley said thousands of umbrella-related injuries occur annually and that the new standard establishes how to test and certify anchor devices that use sand weight or other anchors. He described anchors compliant with the standard as testable devices that suppliers can certify for umbrella sizes.
Council reaction: Council members thanked Quigley and asked for technical follow-up. Quigley said compliant anchor devices typically retail for $40–$60 and that his organization could ship signs to the borough if council chose to post them at beach accesses and lifeguard stands.
Next steps: Council members indicated they would consider the request and asked Quigley to advise the borough on the number and placement of signs; staff follow-up was requested to coordinate any installation and to confirm lifeguard/maintenance placement and messaging.
Representative quote: "No beach umbrella is safe without an adequate anchor device," — Edward Quigley (visitor), who said he survived a life-threatening injury and worked with ASTM and federal safety staff to develop testing for anchors.
Ending: The council accepted the public comment for the record and said staff would explore implementing the recommended signage and follow-up on beach-safety communications.
