Updated

Updated · WRAL News · May 27

56-Year-Old South Carolina Woman Dies After Windblown Umbrella Strikes at Lake Marion Restaurant

Updated

Updated · WRAL News · May 27

56-Year-Old South Carolina Woman Dies After Windblown Umbrella Strikes at Lake Marion Restaurant

Q: Did the restaurant ignore weather warnings before a flying umbrella killed a patron?

No evidence currently shows that Driftwood Grill ignored weather warnings before the fatal incident. The reporting available says the woman was struck during a “sudden severe weather event” or a “sudden strong gust of wind” at the lakeside restaurant in Summerton, South Carolina. The Clarendon County coroner described the case as an accident, and the restaurant’s public statement also characterized the weather as sudden. None of the provided accounts say staff had a specific warning in hand and failed to act on it. That does not settle the broader safety question. General forecasts for the Carolinas had pointed to gusty winds and severe weather risk during that period, and restaurants have a duty to keep outdoor areas reasonably safe. In any investigation or civil claim, key issues would include whether the umbrella was properly secured, whether staff monitored changing conditions, whether patio service should have been paused, and whether the hazard was foreseeable enough to require preventive action. At this stage, though, the public record supports only that strong winds dislodged the umbrella and caused the woman’s death. It does not establish that the restaurant knowingly disregarded a weather warning. Any finding of negligence would depend on evidence such as weather alerts, surveillance, staff actions, maintenance records, and how the umbrella was anchored.

3 articles · Updated · WRAL News · May 27

Clarendon County's coroner said 56-year-old Dana Weigner died after an umbrella went airborne and struck her at Driftwood Grill on Lake Marion shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Strong wind gusts—described by the coroner as a possible microburst—also knocked over furniture and sent other debris into the dining area where Weigner was sitting with her husband and relatives.
EMS found Weigner unresponsive with head and neck injuries and tried to revive her at the scene, but she could not be saved.
Driftwood Grill's owners declined interviews, citing the family's grief, and said counseling has been offered to staff, relatives and the community as officials review weather data from that night.