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A woman was killed Aug. 10, 2022, after being struck by a beach umbrella in Garden City, local officials have reported. File/Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

A woman was killed Aug. 10, 2022, after being struck by a beach umbrella in Garden City, local officials have reported. File/Grace Beahm Alford/Staff

GARDEN CITY — Horry County officials have not confirmed whether policy changes will be made after a woman was killed Aug. 10 by a beach umbrella at Garden City beach.

Tammy Perreault, 63, of Surfside Beach, was killed after being struck and impaled by a beach umbrella that was carried by the wind along Garden City beach, local officials had reported. The accident garnered national media attention.

Perreault was taken to the emergency room at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital, where she died nearly an hour later of chest trauma. Her death was ruled accidental, according to the Horry County Coroner's Office.

Horry County officials, when questioned, did not provide definitive answers as to whether they plan to implement changes to beach umbrella policies.

“The county is continuing to assess but no decisions have been made," said Thomas Bell, Horry County Public Information Officer.

Horry County is responsible for approximately 14 miles of public beaches along the Grand Strand, including portions of the beaches located south of the town limits of Surfside Beach through Garden City Beach to the Georgetown County line. Garden City Beach was where Perreault was killed.

The county is also responsible for portions of the beaches located just south of the town limits of North Myrtle Beach to the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, including Shore Drive, but excluding the town of Briarcliff Acres.

Lastly, the county's portions of the beaches also include those located south of Springmaid Pier to the town limits of Surfside Beach, including the Myrtle Beach State Park and the campgrounds.

County beach policies state that shading devices of any kind cannot be tied, bound, or connected to each other in any manner, and they must be secured. It is unclear if the beach umbrella that struck Perreault was secured before it was carried away in the wind.

Perreault was born in 1957 in Adams, Mass. After spending her younger years in Massachusetts, she later moved to New York state to work in the insurance industry, where she met her husband, Mike Perreault, according to her obituary.

The couple moved down to South Carolina in 2010, and were together together for 25 years. Perreault became involved in many charitable fundraising events, and she and her husband could often be seen driving their golf cart around town.

"She was always there to lend a helping hand to a friend and was loved by all," Perreault's obituary states.

Horry County Emergency Management officials issued a statement on Aug. 11 regarding Perreault's death, calling it a terrible loss.

"We understand a number of good Samaritans and off-duty medical professionals did provide initial care to the victim on the beach," Emergency Management officials said in a statement. "Their actions to offer comfort and first aid are honorable and appreciated."

Emergency Management officials also thanked the first responders from Murrells Inlet Garden City Fire Rescue, Horry County Police Department Beach Patrol and Beach Services, Ltd., who provided emergency medical services and transportation to an area hospital.

"Horry County is continuing to look into the matter," officials said. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim as they navigate through this difficult time."

A graveside service for Perreault was held Aug. 19 in St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Adams, Mass. There will be a celebration of her life in South Carolina at a later date to be announced.

Each year, around 3,000 Americans are hospitalized for injuries related to all types of umbrellas, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Between 2010 and 2018, about 2,800 people were treated for injuries caused by a wind-blown umbrella.

Between 2009 and 2018, over 32,000 people were injured in umbrella-related incidents in the US, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

 Follow Nicole Ziege on Twitter @NicoleZiege.

Nicole Ziege covers city and county government and politics for The Post & Courier Myrtle Beach. She is originally from Kentucky, and now lives in Myrtle Beach.

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