Lifeguard impaled by beach umbrella: ‘Tough young woman’
Kena Betancur/VIEWpress
(ASBURY PARK, N.J.) — A lifeguard is in the hospital after she was impaled by an umbrella at a New Jersey beach on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The woman was found on the ground near the lifeguard stand with an umbrella stake that had pierced the front of her left shoulder and was sticking out the back of her arm by about 1 foot, Asbury Park Fire Chief Kevin Keddy told ABC News.
She was being treated by her fellow lifeguards, Keddy said, and when the fire department officials arrived they took over and stabilized her. The fire department responders also cut the umbrella stake in the front and in the back to make the wound more manageable, he said.
Paramedics then responded and took the lifeguard to a hospital, Keddy said, adding she was conscious and alert the whole time.
“She’s a tough young woman,” the chief said.
The circumstances surrounding the impalement were not immediately clear, but Keddy said his advice to beachgoers is to always make sure umbrellas are placed securely in the sand and are carried with the point down.
(NEW YORK) — A 30-year-old man has drowned in Pennsylvania near a family picnic area while attempting to swim across the river and went under, officials said.
The emergency communications center at Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in Bushkill, Pennsylvania, received a report of a drowning in the Delaware River near the Kittatinny Point picnic area at about 4:10 p.m. on Tuesday, according to a statement from the National Park Service.
National Park Service rangers and dive team members, New Jersey State Police and water rescue teams from the Portland Volunteer Fire Department responded to the call, officials said, and the crews “quickly located and recovered the body of a 30-year-old Parsipanny, New Jersey, man from the river, where the water was approximately 17 feet deep.”
“The man was swimming with family members near the picnic area when he tired while attempting to swim across the river and went under,” NPS said.
Authorities have not yet named the man and it is unclear what the swimming conditions were like at the time of the drowning, but the National Park Service took the opportunity to remind all river users to wear a properly-fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket while swimming, floating, fishing or boating on the Delaware River.
(ESPARTO, Calif) — Human remains have been found at the warehouse filled with fireworks that exploded in Northern California this week, officials said.
The number of fatalities was not released and no positive identifications have been made, Yolo County officials said. Seven people were considered missing on Wednesday.
“Recovery efforts are expected to continue throughout the weekend as investigators, coroner personnel, and fire crews work carefully and respectfully through the process,” county officials said on Friday. “The Coroner’s Office has been in contact with the families of those previously reported missing and will continue to provide them with timely updates as information becomes available.”
The blast occurred Tuesday night at a pyrotechnics facility in Esparto, about 40 miles from Sacramento, triggering a series of massive explosions, according to fire authorities.
Cal Fire and the Esparto Fire Protection District said crews were working to find the missing.
“We obviously do our best to train for every type of incident, but an incident like this is like a once-in-a-career type of incident,” Esparto Fire Chief Curtis Lawrence said at a news conference Wednesday.
The new conference was interrupted by an angry family member who said her boyfriend and brother-in-law were in the building.
“We’re all sick to our stomach, and we’re all waiting on the information [officials say] we should receive until Saturday, when I want to know today,” she said.
The origin and cause of the blast remains under investigation, county officials said Friday.
Cal Fire’s Office of the State Fire Marshal said it believes the facility belongs to a licensed pyrotechnics operator. Investigators are working to determine if the operation complied with California’s strict pyrotechnics regulations and federal explosive storage requirements.
“This type of incident is very rare,” Cal Fire officials said, noting that such facilities must follow stringent safety protocols.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with those we lost, their families, and everyone impacted in our community,” the management for Devastating Pyrotechnics, the company that owns the pyrotechnics business, said in a statement. “We are grateful for the swift response of law enforcement and emergency personnel. Our focus will remain on those directly impacted by this tragedy, and we will cooperate fully with the proper authorities in their investigation.”
The explosion led to the cancelation of multiple Fourth of July celebrations. The Cloverdale Lions Club announced Thursday that they were canceling their annual aerial fireworks display, as the Esparto facility was their designated supplier.
New York Mayor Eric Adams speaks to the media during a press conference at City Hall on March 03, 2025 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Advisers to President Donald Trump have been making efforts over the last few weeks to persuade New York City Mayor Eric Adams to end his reelection bid, sources tell ABC News, and the push has gained momentum in recent days with a potential ambassador post in Saudi Arabi being floated among the options to get Adams to drop out.
Sources tell ABC News the talks are fluid and could fail, but point to a recent in-person meeting between Trump adviser Steve Witkoff and Adams in Florida as a clear push to get this done.
Adams is said to be weighing his options, including opportunities in the private sector, though sources caution for now that a decision is not imminent.
“Serving New Yorkers as their mayor is the only job I’ve ever wanted. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made lowering crime, improving schools, building housing, and cutting costs for working families — and I remain the best person to lead this city forward,” Adams said in a statement reacting to reports of the discussions Friday.
“While I will always listen if called to serve our country, no formal offers have been made. I am still running for reelection, and my full focus is on the safety and quality of life of every New Yorker,” Adams said.
Sources tell ABC News the Trump team has been hearing from Republican donors in New York pleading with Trump aides to get involved out of fear that Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who currently leads in polling, could win the November contest.
“Then it’s on to Sliwa, but that’s a tougher nut,” one source familiar with the efforts told ABC News, referring to Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, who has publicly vowed to stay in the race.
“I’d prefer not to have a communist mayor of New York City,” Trump said Thursday night when asked by reporters for his thoughts on the New York City contest. “So I would, I would like to see two people drop out and have it be one-on-one. And I think that’s a race that could be won.”
If Adams and Sliwa were to exit, that would mean Mamdani’s remaining major rival would be former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running on the independent line after losing the June Democratic primary.
Cuomo, sources told ABC News, was spotted Friday morning meeting with political activist and power broker Al Sharpton, who has not made any endorsement in the race.
The deadline set by the New York City Board of Elections to finalize names on the November ballot is Sept. 11. Adams’ name would remain on ballot if he doesn’t end his campaign before then.
