US woman killed after beach umbrella impales her in the chest

A 63-year-old woman died after a loose beach umbrella impaled her in the chest at a beach in South Carolina on Wednesday.

The deceased woman, Tammy Perreault, had gone to relax at a Garden City beach when the umbrella struck her. She was immediately given first aid, but could not be saved.

She died about an hour later at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital from chest trauma, according to a report in The Guardian.

This was not a one-off incident, injuries and deaths from beach umbrellas are quite common in the US. The umbrellas have spiked ends and often get caught in the wind, ending up injuring people.

In a similar incident reported in the US in 2016, a woman died after being hit in the chest by a flying beach umbrella uprooted by strong winds. The 56-year-old victim from Chester, Virginia, suffered a fatal injury and died later at a hospital.

US senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia had asked safety agencies to review rules for beach umbrellas after the 2016 mishap. Earlier that year, a man from Delaware lost the use of one of his eyes after being impaled by a beach umbrella in heavy winds.

In 2019, a 13-year-old Massachusetts boy got hit in the arm when an unsecured beach umbrella was blown off the ground by a gust of wind.

The young boy was walking on Good Harbor Beach in Glouchester when the flying umbrella stabbed him in his left arm. The injury was not a serious one, and he was lucky to have only been hit in the arm.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, around 3,000 people get injured by beach umbrellas every year. While it is not possible to put a ban on beach umbrellas, authorities have requested beachgoers to properly secure their umbrellas.

The umbrella should be secured at least 16 inches into the sand. Digging a 16-inch hole or pushing the stake in and moving it from side to side allows the umbrella to be safely fastened. There are sandbags that can also be attached to the umbrellas to keep them secure.