Another Stingray attack

[Geez Louise]

This was on Nine msn:

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A poisonous stingray has leapt out of the water and struck and killed a 57-year-old woman in a boat off the southern Florida Keys, according to local authorities.
Judy Kay Zagorski was sunbathing on a boat travelling 40 km/h when the 34kg spotted eagle ray emerged from the water and struck her in the face, local officials were quoted in the Miami Herald as saying.
It was unclear whether Zagorksi died from the poisonous barbs on the stingray's tail or from hitting her head on some part of the boat, officials said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission's Jorge Pino said the accident was under investigation to determine the exact cause of death.

"It's just as freakish of an accident as I have heard," Mr Pino was quoted by CNN as saying.
"The chances of this occurring are so remote that most of us are completely astonished that this happened."
Stingrays are normally docile creatures who use their venomous barbs for self defence and very rarely attack humans.
There are no reliable statistics on how many fatalities have been caused by stingrays, with various media reports putting the number of recorded deaths at no more than 30.
Eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near coral reefs. The spotted creatures can grow to more than 2.5m 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.
Nevertheless, an elderly man in Florida was pierced through the heart by a stingray in 2006, although he managed to survive.
Stingrays gained notoriety in 2006 when Steve Irwin was killed by a stingray barb in September 2006 while filming on the Great Barrier Reef

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What's up with Stingrays?? Melbourne last week someone got stabbed by one.

For years you never heard anything about them and now ANOTHER freak attack.

[XR Martin]

Had nothing to do with the barb.

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.

[XA-Coupe]

From what I gather, this was an eagle ray that jumped out of the water ( as they do ) and happened to collide with her on the way past. The boat was supposedly doing around 40kmh, I know I wouldn't want to hit a 37 kilo object at 40ks!,

[fmc351]

Crikey!

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by XA-Coupe

From what I gather, this was an eagle ray that jumped out of the water ( as they do ) and happened to collide with her on the way past. The boat was supposedly doing around 40kmh, I know I wouldn't want to hit a 37 kilo object at 40ks!,

I hit a small bird once (on the helmet) on the bike doing 60k's... it nearly ripped me off the bike.. i can't imagine what hitting 37kg's would be like.

[broken_suave]

40kms on the water is a fair rate of knots........

[Duke]

Originally Posted by 4Vman

I hit a small bird once (on the helmet) on the bike doing 60k's... it nearly ripped me off the bike.. i can't imagine what hitting 37kg's would be like.

How lucky! Imagine if the bird wasn't wearing a helmet...

It's not funny getting hit on the helmet - is it guys.

[4Vman]

Originally Posted by Duke

How lucky! Imagine if the bird wasn't wearing a helmet...

It's not funny getting hit on the helmet - is it guys.

i like the way you think..!

[blk_frmnt]

Originally Posted by fmc351

Crikey!

I guess someone had to say it...

[kyro_02]

Originally Posted by Duke

How lucky! Imagine if the bird wasn't wearing a helmet...

It's not funny getting hit on the helmet - is it guys.

you mean, the german helmet?


also whats with these stingrays, they kill one person, then a gang of people are out slaughtering the stingrays, now the stingrays strike back.

they're bloody smart, but dumb to land on the boat :P

[vanman_75]

thats dam unlucky aint it ?

[Booka]

she wasn’t killed by the stingray.... she hit her head on the deck and died of a subdural hematoma (bruising on the brain) and the resulting internal bleeding from the knock

[Geez Louise]

Well how many people can claim that is how a loved one died!

Bizarre....Yes!!