On a hot summer day in August, 2022, a South Carolina woman died in a freak accident on the beach.
Officials say that Tammy Perreault was impaled in the chest by an umbrella that had blown loose in the wind. Perreault was at a Garden City beach when the umbrella broke free from its anchor. It struck her chest around 12:40 p.m.
Horrified witnesses as well as some off-duty medical professionals rushed over to help the injured woman while an ambulance was on its way.
Perreault was transported to Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital. Sadly, she did not survive. The 63-year-old died about an hour after the initial injury.
More from LittleThings: Teen Can't Afford Dream Dress, So Her Prom Date Teaches Himself How To Make It For Her
“This is a terrible loss, and we know our community is hurting,” Thomas Bell, a spokesperson for Horry County Emergency Management, told WMBF. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim as they navigate through this difficult time.”
The incident is truly unsettling, especially because it seems that Perrault was a beloved local in the community. Scotty’s Surfside Bar posted a tribute about the deceased on its Facebook page.
“Today with heavy hearts we mourn the loss of a dear friend and kind hearted local, Tammy Perreault,” the tribute read. “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.”
Death from a beach umbrella is an incredibly rare occurrence. However, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, injuries do happen. About 3,000 people are injured by beach umbrellas every year.
A close friend of the deceased, Sherry White, spoke about what an incredible person she was. “She was the most loving and kind person I think I ever met. She never had a bad word to say about anybody,” White said. “She always put others first and her husband and her were inseparable. If you saw Mike, you saw Tammy. They had a great passion and love for each other."
Perreault is survived by her husband, Mike Perreault. According to her Facebook page, she appeared to be a loving aunt to many nieces and nephews.
