A fun trip to the beach quickly turned into a tragedy.
According to Horry County public information officer Thomas Bell to The State, Tammy Perreault was sitting and enjoying a day at Garden City Beach in South Carolina when an umbrella suddenly flew into the air and punctured her chest. OMG! Friend Sherry White, who was there when the incident happened, recalled to WMBF:
“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.”
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On the day of the freak accident, winds were reported to be between 10 and 15 MPH. Witnesses also told ABC15 that the umbrella immediately struck Tammy in her upper torso’s left side. Bell went on to say that beachgoers quickly jumped into action to help the woman, explaining:
“We understand a number of good Samaritans and off-duty medical professionals did provide initial care to the victim on the beach. Their actions to offer comfort and first aid are honorable and appreciated.”
He also acknowledged Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire Rescue, Horry County Police Department Beach Patrol, and Beach Services, Ltd. for providing “emergency medical services and transportation to an area hospital.” When police arrived at the scene, the 63-year-old was moved from the beach and later taken to Waccamaw ER where she sadly succumbed to her injuries nearly an hour after the incident at around 1:31 p.m. The coroner confirmed with WBTW that the 63-year-old’s cause of death was chest trauma.
So sad…
Now, the community is mourning her tragic loss. Local spot Scotty’s Beach Bar shared an emotional tribute to Tammy on Facebook, writing:
“Today with heavy hearts we mourn the loss of a dear friend and kindhearted 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. If everyone can please keep the Perreault family in your hearts today especially her husband Mike. Mike we love you and are immensely sorry for your loss.. everyone at Scotty’s, staff and Scotty’s family will continue prayers.”
Her pal Sherry expressed to WMBF that Tammy always had a generous heart, saying:
“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 and her husband and her were inseparable. If you saw Mike, you saw Tammy. They had a great passion and love for each other.”
Bell also offered his condolences to her loved ones during this difficult time:
“This is a terrible loss, and we know our community is hurting. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim as they navigate through this difficult time.”
It sounds like she was beloved by many members of her community. A GoFundMe has been created to help cover her funeral expenses, which you can see HERE. Our hearts go out to her loved ones.
[Image via GoFundMe, Fox 25 Orlando/Youtube]
