Jumping Ray Hits Boater
A Michigan woman dies after a collision with a spotted eagle ray near Marathon.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials are still unsure how Judy Kay Zagorski, 57, of Pigeon, Michigan, died after a collision with a spotted eagle ray Thursday in the Keys. Zagorski and her family were boating near Marathon at Vaca Key when the spotted eagle ray jumped from the water and collided with her, according to FWC reports.
Authorities believe she died from a blow to her head when she was knocked into a bow railing by the ray. Zagorski was taken to a Tavernier hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Eagle rays, also called leopard rays, are known to leap from the water, but are not considered an aggressive species. Spotted eagle rays can have a wingspan of up to 10 feet and can weigh 500 pounds.
“The spotted eagle ray weighed about 75 pounds,” said Becky Herrin, a spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
The cause of death is still under investigation.
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