‘Most loving, kind person’: Friends remember woman killed after being impaled by beach umbrella in Garden City

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - 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 Surfside Beach, was struck and impaled by a beach umbrella that was carried by the wind around 12:40 p.m.

Sherry White, who was one of Perreault’s best friends, was there when the tragic accident happened.

“A gust of wind that came through took an umbrella through the air and it just kept going and going. Everyone says, “Duck,” and we did, but unfortunately she was in the line of fire,” White explained.

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

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.

Family and friends are mourning the loss of Tammy Perreault (blonde hair) who died after she... — Family and friends are mourning the loss of Tammy Perreault (blonde hair) who died after she was hit and impaled by a beach umbrella in Garden City.(Source: Facebook/Sherie White)

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

White said Perreault would do anything for anyone and had a love for life and her friends.

“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.

Scotty’s Beach Bar in Surfside Beach also 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.”

Perreault’s family has also set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.

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 2010-2018.

Horry County is investigating the details of the incident.

Stay with WMBF for updates.

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