A rare incident involving a spotted eagle ray occurred in the Atlantic Ocean near Marathon, as Judy was enjoying a day out with her family in the spring of 2008
A mum-of-two was killed in a freak accident when a giant stingray leapt from the sea and hit her in the face during a family holiday. Judy Kay Zagorski, 57, from Michigan, was enjoying a boat trip in the Florida Keys with her family when the tragedy occurred.
The incident took place near Marathon, on the Atlantic Ocean side of Vaca Key, in spring 2008.
Judy was sitting at the front of the boat travelling at around 25 mph when the 75-pound spotted eagle ray – with a wingspan of around six feet – suddenly burst from the sea. The impact knocked her backwards onto the floor of the boat.
Officials said she showed no evidence of puncture wounds from the animal’s venomous barbs. The force of the collision alone caused fatal injuries.
Monroe County’s medical examiner confirmed Judy died instantly from blunt force trauma, suffering multiple skull fractures and direct brain injury. She was not stung.
Her sister Joyce Ann Miller was standing beside her but was unharmed. Judy’s father, Virgil Bouck, was driving the boat at the time, and her mother Verneta was also on board, as the family had been enjoying a spring holiday together.
The ray also ended up dead in the boat following the tragedy. Wildlife officials have labelled it as a freak accident – spotted eagle rays are not known for their aggression and only use their venomous tail barbs in self-defence.
Although they are known to leap out of the water to escape predators or remove parasites, collisions with humans are almost unheard of.
Spotted eagle rays can grow up to 500 pounds with wingspans as wide as ten feet. They are protected under Florida law and usually swim peacefully near the ocean’s surface.
Judy’s death has left both locals and visitors in shock. Speaking to NBC News, her brother Dan Bouck described her as “a truly awesome sister” who volunteered with terminally ill patients and ran Beadle Bay Marina and Campground with her late husband Steve Zagorski.
Experts emphasise that such accidents are extremely rare. There have been isolated incidents involving rays landing in boats before, but fatalities are almost never reported.
This case has drawn comparisons to other high-profile accidents involving marine life, including the death of Steve Irwin in Australia[1].