Stingray kills Michigan woman in Florida Keys

Associated Press - March 20, 2008 12:44 PM ET

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - Officials say a Michigan woman died after a
stingray jumped out of the water and struck her in the upper body in the
Florida Keys.

Wildlife officials say the spotted eagle ray hit the 55-year-old woman
in the face or neck while she was in a boat with her family Thursday.
Her name and hometown aren't being released yet.

Officials say it's not clear whether the animal's barb struck her, or if
the impact killed her. It's also not clear how big it was.

Spotted eagle rays can grow up to 17 feet in length, weigh up to 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 tip at the end of their tail as a
defense mechanism.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

On Mar 20, 1:08*pm, hk wrote:
Stingray kills Michigan woman in Florida Keys

Associated Press - March 20, 2008 12:44 PM ET

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - Officials say a Michigan woman died after a
stingray jumped out of the water and struck her in the upper body in the
Florida Keys.

Wildlife officials say the spotted eagle ray hit the 55-year-old woman
in the face or neck while she was in a boat with her family Thursday.
Her name and hometown aren't being released yet.

Officials say it's not clear whether the animal's barb struck her, or if
the impact killed her. It's also not clear how big it was.

Spotted eagle rays can grow up to 17 feet in length, weigh up to 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 tip at the end of their tail as a
defense mechanism.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Thanks. You are the only person on earth that can read the news so we
all need you to cut and paste any article you see.

hk wrote:
Stingray kills Michigan woman in Florida Keys

Associated Press - March 20, 2008 12:44 PM ET

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - Officials say a Michigan woman died after a
stingray jumped out of the water and struck her in the upper body in the
Florida Keys.

Wildlife officials say the spotted eagle ray hit the 55-year-old woman
in the face or neck while she was in a boat with her family Thursday.
Her name and hometown aren't being released yet.

Officials say it's not clear whether the animal's barb struck her, or if
the impact killed her. It's also not clear how big it was.

Spotted eagle rays can grow up to 17 feet in length, weigh up to 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 tip at the end of their tail as a
defense mechanism.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I saw a stringray jump out of the water when it was being chased by a
nurse shark, a very impressive sight.

Everytime I am in the keys or south Florida, I always wear water shoes
and "shuffle" when walking in the water, that way you don't step on them
or other potentially dangerous fish.

wrote
Thanks. You are the only person on earth that can read the
news so we all need you to cut and paste any article you see.

I really don't mind anyone c&p'ing a news article to try to get a discussion
started. At least this one's kind of on topic. (For the record, I'm against
stingrays jumping into boats and killing 55 year-old women.)

Ernest Scribbler wrote:
wrote
Thanks. You are the only person on earth that can read the
news so we all need you to cut and paste any article you see.

I really don't mind anyone c&p'ing a news article to try to get a discussion
started. At least this one's kind of on topic. (For the record, I'm against
stingrays jumping into boats and killing 55 year-old women.)




I used to be wary of sharks, especially when I was messing around in
Florida waters...but these damned rays, I never considered them a
problem until "Crikey" bought it last year.

"hk" wrote
these damned rays, I never considered them a problem until "Crikey" bought
it last year.

I kinda figured he was asking for it. (Whoever had stingray in the "what
animal will kill Steve Irwin" pool must have made out like a bandit.) Sounds
like this woman in Florida was minding her own business.

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:12:31 -0500, wrote:

This is not the same animal that killed the "Crikey" guy or that pokes
snowbirds in the leg.

I knew a guy who died that way in the 80s. He was near Ft Myers, the
ray hit him in the leg, it became badly infected and he died several
days later.

"hk" wrote in message
. ..
Ernest Scribbler wrote:
wrote
Thanks. You are the only person on earth that can read the
news so we all need you to cut and paste any article you see.

I really don't mind anyone c&p'ing a news article to try to get a
discussion started. At least this one's kind of on topic. (For the
record, I'm against stingrays jumping into boats and killing 55 year-old
women.)


I used to be wary of sharks, especially when I was messing around in
Florida waters...but these damned rays, I never considered them a problem
until "Crikey" bought it last year.

Ya, but Crikey was unnecessarily messing with them.

JimH wrote:
"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:12:31 -0500, wrote:

This is not the same animal that killed the "Crikey" guy or that pokes
snowbirds in the leg.
I knew a guy who died that way in the 80s. He was near Ft Myers, the
ray hit him in the leg, it became badly infected and he died several
days later.


Swimming in water filled with creatures that can kill or cause serious
injury to you is not my cup of tea.



Well that removes 95% of the earth's waters.

The fact that this made front page news, shows how rare it is.

I and hundreds of thousands of others, have been swimming with sharks,
rays and barracudas many times, without any problems. In Mexico I hand
feed Nurse sharks and moray eels. The dive guide I was with, did this
with any of his divers who were interested. No one had died yet.

"JimH" wrote in message
...

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:12:31 -0500, wrote:

This is not the same animal that killed the "Crikey" guy or that pokes
snowbirds in the leg.

I knew a guy who died that way in the 80s. He was near Ft Myers, the
ray hit him in the leg, it became badly infected and he died several
days later.


Swimming in water filled with creatures that can kill or cause serious
injury to you is not my cup of tea.


I think it's important to remember that unfortunate events like this are
very, very rare.
You are in far more danger driving down to the local grocery store.

Eisboch