Birthday Trip Ends in Tragedy After Female Bartender Shoves Tourist Downstairs

A birthday getaway between two longtime best friends ended in tragedy after a South Carolina bartender allegedly shoved a 62-year-old vacationer down a flight of stairs, sending her headfirst onto concrete.

Mary Hunt, 68, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Minnesota woman Joyce Tomlinson, according to court records.

The deadly encounter happened on Oct. 3, 2025, at Coot’s Bar & Grill in the coastal community of Edisto Beach, South Carolina.

Tomlinson had traveled from Minnesota to visit her longtime friend Ruth Peterson, who lives in the area. The two women had known each other for nearly 50 years and were celebrating their 62nd birthdays together.

What was supposed to be a fun girls’ trip took a devastating turn shortly after 10 p.m.

Peterson said the friends decided to leave the crowded waterfront bar, with Peterson heading outside to get the car while Tomlinson stayed behind to settle their bill.

Moments later, Peterson said she looked back toward the bar and saw an encounter that would change everything.

According to Peterson, Tomlinson had turned toward the stairs when a woman suddenly rushed at her from behind and shoved her with both hands.

Peterson said her friend went flying headfirst over the staircase without her body striking the steps before crashing onto a concrete slab below.

When Edisto Beach police arrived, Tomlinson was reportedly lying on the concrete, breathing but unresponsive.

Peterson rushed to her friend’s side and immediately feared the worst because of the severity of her injuries.

Tomlinson was airlifted to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston with a severe head injury. Doctors performed a craniotomy in an effort to relieve swelling in her brain.

Despite treatment, she never recovered from the injuries and died approximately three weeks later.

Investigators eventually identified Hunt, who reportedly worked as a bartender at Coot’s, as the woman accused of pushing Tomlinson.

Authorities say another witness described an argument inside the bar before the fall.

According to investigators, that witness claimed Hunt had been yelling at Tomlinson and at one point grabbed her by the neck while attempting to move her toward the outside.

Hunt has disputed the allegations.

She reportedly told investigators that Tomlinson had been intoxicated and belligerent toward bartenders before falling down the stairs on her own.

Peterson strongly rejected that version of events, describing her longtime friend as a quiet and nonconfrontational person.

The conflicting accounts will likely become a central issue if the case proceeds to trial.

Hunt was ultimately charged with voluntary manslaughter, a serious felony under South Carolina law. A conviction can carry between two and 30 years in prison.

The charge is notably different from involuntary manslaughter, which generally involves a death caused by criminal negligence or reckless behavior. Voluntary manslaughter involves an unlawful killing without the malice required for a murder conviction and can involve circumstances prosecutors contend occurred in the heat of passion.

Local reporting found the charge is relatively uncommon in the region. Fewer than 100 voluntary manslaughter cases have reportedly been filed across Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester and Berkeley counties since 2020.

Hunt was initially granted a $100,000 bond. However, authorities said she later violated conditions of her release and was returned to the Colleton County Detention Center while the case remains pending.

No trial date has been publicly announced.

For Peterson, the criminal case comes after the sudden loss of a woman who had been part of her life for nearly five decades.

The pair had traveled a long way from their Minnesota roots and were supposed to spend the trip celebrating another year of life together.