The husband of a woman who died after being impaled by a beach umbrella has urged beachgoers to be more vigilant of their surroundings.
Tammy Perreault tragically died on a beach in South Carolina last Wednesday when an umbrella took flight - piercing her arm and ribcage.
Eyewitnesses report that the umbrella hurtled toward a group of six people. All parties but the deceased ducked to avoid the projectile.
The 63-year-old is reported to have bled for 30 to 40 seconds before being rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Tammy's husband, Mike Perreault, spoke on ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today show to urge beachgoers to be more cautious.
“It was a regular breezy day, no other umbrellas or beach blankets or anything got foiled,” Mike told NBC.
"Keep your eyes open; it could have been a 10-year-old kid and it just so happened that it was my wife," he told Good Morning America.
To avoid reoccurrences of such tragedies, health and safety experts are recommending that beachgoers secure their beach umbrella at least 60cm into moist sand, before anchoring it with an auger to stabilize the covering.
It is also recommended to place an umbrella on flat ground and tilt it in a manner so that the breeze drives it further into the sand.
