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A beach umbrella in Garden City, South Carolina, became unmoored and went flying Wednesday, impaling a local woman in the chest.

At about 12:40 p.m., a beach umbrella was jarred loose by wind and flew into the air before impaling Tammy Perreault of Surfside Beach, South Carolina.

Ms. Perreault’s friend Sherry White was with her and witnessed the incident.

“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,” Ms. White told Myrtle Beach NBC affiliate WMBF-TV.

Beach umbrellas have spiked ends that help drive them into packed sand, and their wide canopies cause them to be caught up by strong winds if not properly anchored.

Ms. Perreault was taken to an emergency room in Waccamaw, South Carolina, for her chest trauma, but she ultimately died of her injuries at 1:33 p.m. Wednesday.

Now, Ms. Perreault is mourned by her community and her friends and family, who all attest to the quality of her character.

“She was the most loving and kind person I think I ever met. She never had a bad word to say about anybody. She always put others first,” Ms. White told WMBF-TV.

Scotty’s Beach Bar, where Ms. Perreault was a regular customer, posted a message on Facebook mourning her passing, writing, “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.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission urges citizens to take precautions when dealing with beach umbrellas.

An infographic on its website explains that umbrellas should be tilted into the wind to prevent them from blowing away.

Furthermore, the CPSC advises that anchors or weights be attached to the umbrella’s pole and that the sand is packed tightly around the base. The pole should go at least two feet into the sand to keep it secure.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.

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