A woman has been killed after a loose parasol impaled her in the chest in South Carolina.
Tammy Perreault, 63, was struck by an umbrella that was blown by the wind from its anchor while at Garden City Beach on Wednesday, Horry County Deputy Chief Coroner Tamara Willard said.
Ms Perreault died about an hour later in hospital from chest trauma, police said.
Beach umbrellas have a pointed end to help push them through sand and their wide canopy allows them to get caught in strong winds if not anchored properly, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said. .
Scotty’s Beach Bar, located near Garden City Beach, paid tribute to Ms Perreault by describing her as a “dear friend” in an online post.
He read: “Today, with heavy hearts, we mourn the loss of a dear friend and kind-hearted local, Tammy Perreault.
“Some things we will never understand, but what we do know is that no one has anything bad to say about this woman.
“Being as sweet as her day in and day out should be a goal for everyone.”
The federal agency estimates that around 3,000 people are injured by umbrellas each year.
U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia called on the security agency to review umbrella rules and launch an awareness campaign after a Virginia woman was killed by an umbrella in 2016.