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Delaware surf zone injuries and associated environmental conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Jack A. Puleo

    (University of Delaware)

  • Katie Hutschenreuter

    (University of Delaware)

  • Paul Cowan

    (Beebe Healthcare)

  • Wendy Carey

    (University of Delaware)

  • Michelle Arford-Granholm

    (Beebe Healthcare)

  • Kimberly K. McKenna

    (Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control)

Abstract

Surf zone injury and environmental condition data were collected concurrently during the summer of 2014 along the Delaware coast. Documented injury data included injury type, gender, age and activity, while measured environmental conditions included local wave height, wave period and foreshore slope. Daily water user counts were used to normalize injury rates relative to the number of beachgoers at risk. There were 280 injuries over 116 sample days along the entire Delaware coast and 169 injuries over 82 sample days within the 5-beach focused study area where water user count data were available. Injuries were not distributed randomly as tested against a Poisson distribution and occurred in clusters with up to 15 injuries occurring in a single day. There were 32 serious injuries (cervical fractures, spinal cord injuries) and 1 fatality. Water user counts throughout the course of a day exceeded 25,000 on busy weekends such that the mean injury rate was 0.02 %. Men were twice as likely to be injured relative to women, and the mean injury age was 32 years old. Tourists were six times more likely to be injured compared to local beachgoers. Wading (44 %) was the dominant injury activity followed by body surfing (20 %) and body boarding (17 %). Direct correlation between injury occurrence or injury rate and any environmental factors was weak (highest squared correlation coefficient

Suggested Citation

  • Jack A. Puleo & Katie Hutschenreuter & Paul Cowan & Wendy Carey & Michelle Arford-Granholm & Kimberly K. McKenna, 2016. "Delaware surf zone injuries and associated environmental conditions," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 81(2), pages 845-867, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:81:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s11069-015-2108-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-015-2108-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. R. McCarroll & Robert Brander & Jamie MacMahan & Ian Turner & Ad Reniers & Jenna Brown & Anthony Bradstreet & Shauna Sherker, 2014. "Evaluation of swimmer-based rip current escape strategies," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 71(3), pages 1821-1846, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Matthew B. Doelp & Jack A. Puleo & Nathaniel G. Plant, 2019. "Predicting surf zone injuries along the Delaware coast using a Bayesian network," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 98(2), pages 379-401, September.
    2. William Koon & Robert W Brander & Gregory Dusek & Bruno Castelle & Jasmin C Lawes, 2023. "Relationships between the tide and fatal drowning at surf beaches in New South Wales, Australia: Implications for coastal safety management and practice," Post-Print hal-04266306, HAL.
    3. A. Dana Ménard & Chris Houser & Robert W. Brander & Sarah Trimble & Alexandra Scaman, 2018. "The psychology of beach users: importance of confirmation bias, action, and intention to improving rip current safety," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 94(2), pages 953-973, November.
    4. Bruno Castelle & Rob Brander & Eric Tellier & Bruno Simonnet & Tim Scott & Jak McCarroll & Jean-Michel Campagne & Thibault Cavailhes & Pierre Lechevrel, 2018. "Surf zone hazards and injuries on beaches in SW France," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 93(3), pages 1317-1335, September.

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