A South Carolina woman succumbed to her injuries after being impaled by a runaway beach umbrella, People reported.
Tammy Perreault, 63, was sitting at a local beach when the rogue umbrella flew into the air and then punctured her upper torso. Bystanders did their best to administer medical aid, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful and Perreault died soon after at the hospital.
“We understand a number of good Samaritans and off-duty medical professionals did provide initial care to the victim on the beach,” Horry County Public Information Officer Thomas Bell said in a statement. “Their actions to offer comfort and first aid are honorable and appreciated.”
Bell credited Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire Rescue, Horry County Police Department Beach Patrol, and Beach Services, Ltd. with their quick response during the emergency. The beachgoer was transferred to Waccamaw ER.
She died at 1:31 p.m., nearly an hour after the accident happened. Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard confirmed that Perreault’s cause of death was chest trauma.
News13 Chief Meteorologist Frank Johnson said winds were between 10 and 15 mph on Wednesday when it happened.
Scotty’s Beach Bar shared kind words of tribute to Perreault in a Facebook post after her death.
“Today with heavy hearts we mourn the loss of a dear friend and kindhearted local, Tammy Perreault. Some things we will never begin to understand but what we do know is no one has a bad thing to say about this woman. To be as sweet as her day in and day out should be a goal for all,” the bar shared. The post urged followers to pray for Perrault’s family, “especially her husband Mike.”
“Mike we love you and are immensely sorry for your loss.. everyone at Scotty’s, staff and Scotty’s family will continue prayers.”
This isn’t the first incident involving a runaway beach umbrella causing injuries. In 2018, a British tourist suffered from an umbrella going through her ankle during an outing at a New Jersey beach. According to ABC News, a “force of the wind” pushed the stake through Margaret Reynolds’ right ankle.
Witness Ricardo Zedeya explained how a “really strong wind came out of nowhere, a couple of umbrellas were flying by, and one went by really quick. Right after that, I heard a woman screaming, ‘My leg.’”
“It looked like five inches came out the other side of her leg,” he said. Reynolds remained calm as her friends phoned for help and she was transported to the local hospital. Luckily, her injuries were not serious and she was “doing well” shortly after it happened.