Woman dies after impaled by beach umbrella

GARDEN CITY, S.C. (WMBF/Gray News) - A woman was impaled Wednesday in Garden City by a beach umbrella in what appeared to be a freak accident.

According to the Horry County Coroner, Tammy Perreault, 63, of Horry County, was struck and impaled by a beach umbrella that was carried by the wind around 12:40 p.m.

Suffering from chest trauma, she was taken to Waccamaw ER where she succumbed to her injuries at 1:33 p.m., WMBF reported.

Tammy Perreault, 63, was struck and impaled by a beach umbrella that was carried by the wind at... — Tammy Perreault, 63, was struck and impaled by a beach umbrella that was carried by the wind at a South Carolina beach. (Source: Facebook/Sherie White)

Perreault was initially provided medical care by off-duty medical professionals and good Samaritans while awaiting first responders, according to Thomas Bell, a spokesperson for Horry County Emergency Management.

“This is a terrible loss, and we know our community is hurting,” Bell said. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim as they navigate through this difficult time.”

Scotty’s Beach Bar in Surfside Beach posted on social media about Perreault and the loss: “Today with heavy hearts we mourn the loss of a dear friend and kind-hearted 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.”

It’s not unheard of for beach umbrellas to cause serious injuries or death.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that there were roughly 2,800 unconfirmed beach umbrella-related injuries between 2010 and 2018.

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