• Judy Kay Zagorski from Michigan was on vacation in the Florida Keys when on March 20, 2008, she was killed by a sting ray. She was riding in a boat driven by her father near Marathon Key, when the ray jumped out of the water, and hit her in the face, knocking her over. Her sister, who was sitting next to her was also hit, but survived with a bad bruise. The medical examiner concluded that she was killed from the blunt impact with the stingray and was not stung by it's barb. Her family has decided not to schedule an autopsy.

  Stingrays are not generally aggressive, and tend to jump when fleeing prey. Speedboats can look like sharks to rays underwater, and authorities speculate that the ray was jumping in an attempt to avoid perceived danger.

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: Judy Bouck Zagorski
  2. Age: 57
  3. Resided: Pigeon, Michigan
  4. Parents: Virgil and Verneta Bouck
  5. Husband, Steven, died in 2005
  6. Children: Two sons, Levi and Travis
  7. Occupation: Campground manager

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Spotted Eagle Ray | Stingray Kills Michigan Boater | Steve Irwin

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