Woman Killed by Beach Umbrella

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Woman impaled by beach umbrella in Garden City dies, coroner says – WYFF4 Greenville

A 63-year-old woman, Tammy Perreault, was killed after a free-floating beach umbrella impaled her in the chest.  It happened at the beach on Wednesday in Garden City, South Carolina. Perreault was taken to an emergency room, where she passed away from chest trauma.

Scotty’s Beach Bar in Surfside Beach made a post on social media about the tragic 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.”

This isn’t the first umbrella accident.  According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), around 3,000 people go to the hospital yearly for injuries related to all types of umbrellas.

In Massachusetts, a thirteen-year-old boy was hospitalized after an umbrella impaled him in the shoulder in 2019.  In 2016, a beach umbrella blew over and killed a fifty-five-year-old woman in Virginia Beach.

According to the CPSC, safety tips for beach umbrellas include spiking your umbrella into the sand.  Burying the umbrella in at least two feet of sand is also recommended.  Tilt the umbrella into the wind to keep it from blowing away.  Also, add an anchor or weight to the base of the pole.  You can find many products on the market that will easily anchor the umbrella.  Lastly, make sure the sand around the umbrella is packed.

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