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Tammy Perreault was at the beach and in sunny South Carolina.
Then a parasol came flying and impaled her in the chest.
– Everyone shouted “duck” and we did, but unfortunately she was in the firing line, says friend Sherry to WLBT.
Tammy was 63 years old.
Last Wednesday, 63-year-old Tammy Perreault was on the beach “Garden city beach” in South Carolina, USA to sunbathe and swim.
But the day ended in a tragic fate. The wind caught a beach umbrella, which came loose from the sand and flew away. The tip hit Tammy Perreault squarely in the chest.
Tammy’s friend Sherry White was on the beach with her when the accident happened.
– There was a gust of wind that grabbed the parasol so it flew away in the air and just went on and on. Everyone shouted “duck” and we did, but unfortunately she was in the firing line, she says WLBT.
Tammy was initially treated by off-duty medical personnel who happened to be on site. She was taken to hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead just over an hour later.
– This is a terrible event and we know that our society is in mourning. Our thoughts go out to the woman’s family and friends at this difficult time, says Thomas Bell, spokesperson for the crisis team in Horry County.
“Kindest person I’ve ever met”
Tammy lived in the area and is mourned by many. Friend Sherry White describes her as a cheerful and kind-hearted person who did everything for everyone.
– She was the loveliest and kindest person I have ever met. She never had anything bad to say about anyone, Sherry White told WLBT.
Tammy is also honored and mourned by the staff of the local beach bar.
“It is with heavy hearts that we today mourn the loss of a close friend and kind-hearted local resident, Tammy Perreault. Some things you will never be able to understand, but what we are absolutely sure of is that no one has anything bad to say about this woman. To be as friendly as her every day is what everyone should strive for,” writes Scotty’s beach bar in a post on Facebook.
Mostly affects women over 40
Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia now want the safety of beach umbrellas to be reviewed and, if necessary, regulations, and that the public must be informed of the danger after a 55-year-old Virginia woman met the same fate in 2016.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, accidents with beach umbrellas are not uncommon. The tip can detach from the ground if the wind catches the fabric if the parasol is not sufficiently anchored in the sand. 3,000 people are injured each year in the United States in accidents involving umbrellas, reports ABC News. The authority is involved in Tammy’s case and the incident is under investigation.
“We also have ongoing work to review the possibilities for developing a standard that will help establish requirements for safe parasols,” the authority writes in a statement.
According to a study published in the Journal of safety research last year, the majority of those injured in parasol accidents are women over 40.
“The most common injury was cuts, abrasions or damage to internal organs. The body part that is often injured is the head/neck,” the study states, reports CBS News.