A relaxing Memorial Day weekend dinner turned into a horrifying tragedy when a South Carolina woman was killed by a patio umbrella that was swept up by strong winds at a lakeside restaurant.
Dana Winger, of Huger, South Carolina, was dining with her husband Saturday evening at Driftwood Grill Home of the Lazy Gator, a restaurant along Lake Marion in Summerton, when the freak accident happened, officials said.
According to the Clarendon County Coroner’s Office, the couple was seated on the restaurant’s patio when a sudden burst of wind blew an umbrella from a table.
The umbrella struck Winger in the head and neck area.
First responders rushed to the scene and found her unresponsive, with lacerations to her head and neck. She was pronounced dead at the restaurant.
The coroner’s office said her death is being investigated as an accident. An autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
The restaurant confirmed that the deadly incident happened during what it described as a “sudden severe weather event at Lake Marion.”
“This has deeply affected many people in our community, including guests, staff, first responders, and everyone involved,” Driftwood Grill said in a statement posted Sunday on social media.
The restaurant asked for “continued prayers, compassion, and privacy” for Winger’s family and everyone shaken by the tragedy.
By Monday, the restaurant had held a support session with authorities, chaplains and others for those impacted by the shocking death.
“This has impacted many people — including staff members, guests, first responders, families, and community members — and we are grateful for the continued support, prayers, understanding, and encouragement being shown throughout the area,” the restaurant said.
The tragedy stunned the lakeside community, turning what should have been a holiday weekend meal into an unimaginable nightmare.
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