A woman from England was seriously injured when a beach umbrella impaled her leg in Seaside Heights on Monday. (Photo courtesy @insert4coins on Instagram)

Jessica Beym | For NJ.com

By Chris Franklin | For NJ.com

When a 67-year-old woman from England was impaled in the ankle by a beach umbrella in Seaside Heights on Monday, it wasn't the first time a gust of wind at the beach has left a sunbather with serious — or even fatal — injuries.

When wind speeds pick up, and umbrellas are not secured, they can become projectile objects that can cause serious harm.

Two summers ago, a woman was killed by a windblown umbrella on Virginia Beach. The summer before, in a similar incident, a man lost his eye on Bethany Beach, Delaware. In Ocean City, Maryland, in 2010, an umbrella took flight and pierced a woman's thigh, nearly severing her femoral artery.

Not only can unsecured umbrellas prove to be lethal, there can also be legal repercussions.

Before you settle into your beach chair, here are some tips to protect not only your family and friends but the people around you.

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This is what you don't want to happen

Kind of funny, but also a little terrifying, right?

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Provided by Flickr

First things first. Anchor it down

Seaside Heights Beach Patrol Captain Rob Connor says it is essential to make sure the umbrella is anchored correctly to prevent it from being uplifted and flying away.

“Making sure your umbrella is well anchored in the sand is the most important thing, and make sure it can down as far as you can,” said Connor. “Obviously, the heavier the wind, the better the anchor needs to be.”

Umbrellas can be anchored with specialized umbrella anchors, sandbags, and other items to keep them in place.

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Watch how it's done

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Be aware of the wind

“You do not want the umbrella to be open to the wind side,” said Connor. “If it is blowing from the south, you don’t want your umbrella tilted to the south, which would make it easy to take off on you. You want to put your umbrella into the wind, and you want to try to tilt it to the way the wind is coming to you will help you.”

Cape May Beach Patrol Captain Geoff Rife echoed the same sentiment.

“Make sure that you are aware of what the wind direction is to try and angle it, so it doesn’t get caught in the wind,” said Rife. “Quite frankly, if it’s too windy, you shouldn’t put the umbrella up at all.”

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Consider one with vents

One way to keep an umbrella or canopy from being swept up by the wind is getting one that is “vented.” A vented umbrella or canopy has flaps that allow for the wind to pass through and escape without the wind being trapped and lifting the umbrella or canopy. Connor says vented umbrellas are helpful.

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Listen to the lifeguards and other announcements

Connor added that beachgoers should listen to the lifeguards and the public address announcers at the beach for warnings.

“At our beach, we will announce when the high winds are there,” Connor said. “Even yesterday, we made announcements stating to make sure the umbrellas are well anchored in the sand at all times. If it gets to a point where it gets too windy, I know all beaches will shut down the use of the umbrellas because it becomes a danger to the public. Also, be aware of your surroundings.”

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don’t use an umbrella if you can’t put it in the ground securely. you can’t twist it in the sand 3 or 4 times and call it a day. https://t.co/XFjLF4TH4I — lex (@ronlextall) July 17, 2018

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Who could be liable

David Semanchik, a lawyer in Toms River, says anybody who was involved in not securing the projectile would be liable.

A New Jersey woman sued a Naples, Florida business in 2010 after she was injured by an unsecured umbrella on a windy day. Another woman won a $200,000 settlement in New York State in 2006 after the wind blew a beach umbrella into her head at a state park.

"If you are putting an umbrella up, you have an obligation to make sure that nothing happens like what happened yesterday," Semanchik said. "An umbrella can be caught up by the wind if not secured properly and if it catches somebody the wrong way, it could kill somebody. Thankfully, it was only her leg."

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Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips