• Tammy Perreault, 63, died from chest trauma after being hit by the umbrella.
• The umbrella was blown from its anchoring by the wind around 12:40 p.m.
• A Virginia woman was killed by an umbrella in 2016.

Authorities reported that a beachgoer was murdered on Wednesday when a wind-swept beach umbrella pierced her in the chest. Tammy Perreault was at a beach in Garden City when the wind-swept umbrella blew from its anchoring, according to Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard.

About an hour later, Perreault, 63, passed away at the hospital from chest trauma, according to Willard.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that beach umbrellas have a spiky end to help press them into the sand and their large canopy allows them to get swept up in a high wind if they are not anchored properly.

An estimated 3,000 individuals are hurt by beach umbrellas annually, according to the government agency.

After a Virginia woman was murdered by an umbrella in 2016, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner of Virginia requested that the safety agency evaluate beach umbrella safety regulations and launch a safety campaign.

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