Stingray kills woman on boat in Fla.

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

MARATHON, Fla. - A 75-pound stingray killed a Michigan woman Thursday when it flew out of the water and struck her face as she rode a boat in the Florida Keys, officials said.

Judy Kay Zagorski, of Pigeon, Mich., was sitting in the front seat of a boat going 25 mph when the spotted eagle ray, with a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet, leaped out of the water, said Jorge Pino, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The 57-year-old woman's father was driving the boat on the Atlantic Ocean side of Vaca Key, Pino said.

"He had absolutely no warning. It just happened instantaneously," Pino said.

The collision knocked Zagorski backward onto the floor of the boat, Pino said.

The impact likely killed the woman, and she did not appear to have puncture wounds from the ray's barb, Pino said. An autopsy is planned, Pino said.

Zagorski's sister was standing next to her when the stingray appeared but was not injured, Pino said.

The stingray died from the impact, officials said.

Spotted eagle rays can weigh 500 pounds and have a wingspan of up to 10 feet. They are known to occasionally jump out of the water but are not aggressive and use the venomous barb at the end of their tail for defense.

The rays are protected in Florida waters and are typically seen swimming on the water's surface.

"Rays jump to escape a predator, give birth and shake off parasites," said Lynn Gear, supervisor of fishes and reptiles at Theater of the Sea in Islamorada. "They do not attack people."

In 2006, a South Florida man was also critically injured when a stingray flopped into his boat and stung him. James Bertakis, 82, of Lighthouse Point, underwent surgery because the stingray left a foot-long barb in his heart. He has since recovered.

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[Nagishkaw 510]

[pedroh 21]

time to promote stingray tacos

[SnowyTater 0]

That's what I was thinking, time to start eating these things

Terrible story but do feel bad for the stingrays too, they're not meaning to be evil murdering beasts I wonder if this is a phenomenon on the rise or if it's just being reported more often now? Kind of like the argument over whether or not there are more shark attacks...

[pedroh 21]

mhh, stingray meat ftw!

[Jesse and Hema 2]

They jump out of the water to give birth? That's the most interesting part of the article...

[almaty 19]

the stingray is getting bad pr..first, the croc. hunter and now this..they need a spin doctor

[Krikit 1,164]

They jump out of the water to give birth? That's the most interesting part of the article...

Heck, have you ever tried to escape labour pains? I tried to jump out of my body.

If it entailed accidentally killing a woman during the escape, I was alright with that.

[Sinergy 3]

They jump out of the water to give birth? That's the most interesting part of the article...

Heck, have you ever tried to escape labour pains? I tried to jump out of my body.

If it entailed accidentally killing a woman during the escape, I was alright with that.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

the stingray is getting bad pr..first, the croc. hunter and now this..they need a spin doctor

Rove should be available.

[almaty 19]

the stingray is getting bad pr..first, the croc. hunter and now this..they need a spin doctor

Rove should be available.

lol.. i thought, he was with the Clinton group..wait, they got slick willie, nevermind

[Nagishkaw 510]

That sounds a bit fishy.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

That sounds a bit fishy.