Tammy Perreault, 63, was sitting on Garden City Beach in South Carolina’s Horry County on Wednesday afternoon when a strong gust of wind suddenly came. This caused a beach umbrella to blow away and fly straight at the woman. The parasol pierced the woman’s chest.
Bystanders immediately offered help and tried to keep the woman stable until emergency services arrived. But the help was no longer of any use, an hour later the woman died in hospital from her injuries.
“This is a terrible loss and we know our community is in pain,” said Thomas Bell, a spokesperson for Horry County Emergency Management. “Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends.”
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, umbrella accidents are more common. The agency estimates that about 3,000 people are injured by beach umbrellas each year.