A family boat trip in the Florida Keys ended in unimaginable tragedy when a mother from Michigan was killed instantly after being struck in the face by a massive leaping stingray.
A Spring Day Turns Deadly
In spring 2008, Judy Kay Zagorski, aged 57, was enjoying a holiday with her family near Marathon, on the Atlantic side of Vaca Key. The group was cruising at approximately 25 miles per hour when a 75-pound spotted eagle ray, with a wingspan of around six feet, suddenly burst from the water.
Judy was seated at the front of the boat, piloted by her father Virgil Bouck. Her sister, Joyce Ann Miller, was standing beside her. The ray's trajectory was horrifically precise, hitting Judy directly in the face with tremendous force. The impact threw her backwards onto the deck.
Instant Fatality and Unusual Aftermath
Authorities confirmed that Judy Zagorski died immediately from blunt force trauma. The Monroe County medical examiner's report detailed multiple skull fractures and a direct brain injury. Notably, she was not stung by the creature's venomous tail barb; the fatal damage was caused solely by the collision's brute force.
In a bizarre twist, the ray itself was found dead in the boat following the incident. Joyce Ann Miller escaped without injury. Wildlife experts were swift to label the event a 'freak accident'. They stressed that spotted eagle rays, which are protected under Florida law, are not aggressive. They use their poisonous spines only in self-defence and are known for leaping to evade predators or remove parasites, not to attack.
Community Shock and Lasting Legacy
Judy's death sent shockwaves through her community and among holidaymakers. Her brother, Dan Bouck, remembered her as 'a truly awesome sister'. She was known for her compassionate work supporting terminally ill patients and co-managed the Beadle Bay Marina and Campground with her late husband, Steve Zagorski.
While there have been rare instances of rays landing in boats, fatalities are exceptionally uncommon. The tragedy has drawn inevitable, sombre comparisons to other rare fatal encounters with marine life, such as the death of conservationist Steve Irwin in Australia. Specialists continue to emphasise that such events are statistical anomalies, not indicative of the behaviour of these typically placid ocean creatures.
