A holiday weekend dinner at a South Carolina lakeside restaurant turned deadly when a patio umbrella went airborne in a sudden burst of wind, officials say. ABC News reports that the woman, said to be from Huger, was eating with her husband on the outdoor deck of Summerton's Driftwood Grill on Lake Marion on Saturday evening when a strong gust lifted an umbrella from a nearby table, with the umbrella then striking her in the head and neck, according to the Clarendon County Coroner's Office.
First responders found the woman, identified by the Post and Courier as 56-year-old Dana Weinger, unresponsive with serious wounds and pronounced her dead at the scene. An autopsy is set for Wednesday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, with authorities treating the case as an accident. In a statement, the restaurant described the weather as a "sudden severe" event and said the episode has weighed heavily on staff, first responders, and other guests.
Driftwood Grill said it organized a support gathering on Monday with chaplains and local officials. "The compassion, professionalism, kindness, and willingness to help our community begin processing such a difficult situation has been deeply appreciated," the eatery said in a statement of those who participated. The Post and Courier notes that, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 32,000 people were injured in umbrella-linked events in the US between 2009 and 2018.
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