Ray Leaps Onto Boat, Stabs And Kills Woman

[mrmoshe]

Ray leaps onto boat, stabs and kills woman

An eagle ray has leapt onto a boat off the Florida Keys and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck and killing her.

"It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an agent with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The woman and her family were aboard a boat today in the Atlantic Ocean, off the city of Marathon in the Florida Keys, he said.

"A large ray jumped out of the water and collided with the victim and somehow the barb penetrated some part of her body, which caused her to fall back and hit her head on some portion of the vessel," Pino said.

"We don't know exactly which one of those things caused her death."

Local media said the animal's barb had impaled the woman through the neck.

Eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near coral reefs.

The spotted creatures can grow to more than 2.5 metres across and have two to six short, venomous barbs near the base of their whip-like tails, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's website.

The rays often swim near the water's surface and can leap out, especially when pursued, but are generally shy of humans.

"All rays leap out of the water from time to time, but certainly to see one collide with a vessel is extremely unusual," Pino said.

Steve Irwin, the host of the Crocodile Hunter television show was killed by another type of ray while filming underwater on Australia's Great Barrier Reef in 2006.

He died when a stingray's barb pierced his heart.

The eagle ray in a boat off the Florida Keys.

EDIT:

Stingray barb 'did not kill woman'

A STINGRAY leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys and knocked a woman to the deck, killing her, wildlife investigators said.

"It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The US woman and her family were aboard a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, off the city of Marathon in the Florida Keys, he said.

"A large ray jumped out of the water and collided with the victim," Mr Pino said.

The impact threw the woman backward and she hit her head on the vessel, he said.

Investigators initially said one of the animal's venomous barbs had stabbed her, but they later said there was no sign of a puncture.

An autopsy was pending.

"We believe she died as a result of the impact between herself and the spotted eagle ray," said Gabriella Ferraro, a spokeswoman for the wildlife commission.

The 35 kg ray and had a wingspan of 1.5 to 1.8 metres, Ms Ferraro said.

The boat was travelling about 40 km/h when the ray collided with the woman, killing both, she said.

Investigators identified the woman as Judy Kay Zagorski, 57, of Pigeon, Michigan.

Spotted eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near coral reefs. They can grow to more than 2.5 metres across and have two to six short, venomous barbs near the base of their whip-like tails, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's website.

The rays often swim near the surface and can leap out of the water, especially when pursued, but are generally shy of humans.

"All rays leap out of the water from time to time but certainly to see one collide with a vessel is extremely unusual," Mr Pino said.

In 2006, a spotted eagle ray leaped onto another boat in Florida waters off the Fort Lauderdale area and pierced the heart of an 81-year-old man with its barb. He survived.

Australia's Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, was killed by another type of stingray while filming underwater on the Great Barrier Reef in 2006.

He died when a stingray's barb pierced his heart.

[Josh88]

I've seen the smaller eagle rays leap out the water in port douglas very close to the boat.

[Jewhunter]

I heard an update today & now it's thought that the woman died after hitting her head as the ray knocked her over.

It seems as though no puncture wound was found on the body during the autopsy.

How unlucky can you get eh?

Thanks for the news Pete.

Cheers,

Grant.

[sanger]

WOW, Thats heavy

[greenfish]

How unlucky is that,what a way to go!