Killer Rays Now in Keys

Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT

By Jane Sutton

MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.

"It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an agent with the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The 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 and
somehow the barb penetrated some part of her body, which caused her to
fall back and hit her head on some portion of the vessel," Pino said.
"We don't know exactly which one of those things caused her death."

Local media said the animal's barb had impaled the woman through the
neck.

Eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near
coral reefs. The spotted creatures can grow to more than 8 feet 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 Web
site.

The rays often swim near the water's surface and can leap out,
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," Pino said.

Steve Irwin, the host of the "Crocodile Hunter" television show was
killed by another type of ray while filming underwater on Australia's
Great Barrier Reef in 2006. He died when a stingray's barb pierced his
heart.

(Editing by Jim Loney and Bill Trott)

"Al Wells" <al.wells@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.224c8358a5d7f40f989a17@news.verizon.net.. .

> "It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an agent with the Florida
> Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

"The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic."
~ Joe Stalin, comment to Churchill at Potsdam, 1945

On Mar 20, 12:21*pm, Al Wells <al.we...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
> Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT
>
> By Jane Sutton
>
> MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
> on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
> and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.

Yikes! At first I had to check the date to make sure it wasn't April
1 yet.

Actually I'm surprised someone hasn't been done in yet on one of the
manta night dives off Kona. They come in so close that you can feel
your hair being dragged and one of them almost took my camera by the
strobes. If one smacked a diver in the head hard enough, that could
easily lead to a bad scene. They are the epitome of evil.

In honor of all those killed by rays these past couple years, I
propose April 1 be made Ban Ray Day and all those with me should
pledge their support by wearing Ray-Bans sunglasses and a black
neoprene armband.

Greg Mossman wrote:
>
>
> In honor of all those killed by rays these past couple years, I
> propose April 1 be made Ban Ray Day and all those with me should
> pledge their support by wearing Ray-Bans sunglasses and a black
> neoprene armband.

I am with you Greg. In honor of Ban Ray day, for 24 hours I will cease
all transmissions via "RAYdio". Also, for 24 hours I will disown my
brother in law who is named "Ray". I will wear my drysuit and carry and
umbrella if I venture out of the house so I don't come into contact with
any "Rayne" (this will also protect me from contact with any sun-rays).
I will avoid any court appearances where there might be an "arraynment".
Also, I am not going to make any "arrayngments" about anything either.

Should be an international holiday reserved only for certified divers so
we can take the day off and remember all those who have been killed by
rays.

"Al Wells" <al.wells@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.224c8358a5d7f40f989a17@news.verizon.net.. .
> Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
> Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT
>
> By Jane Sutton
>
> MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
> on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
> and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.
>
> "It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an agent with the Florida
> Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
>
> The 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 and
> somehow the barb penetrated some part of her body, which caused her to
> fall back and hit her head on some portion of the vessel," Pino said.
> "We don't know exactly which one of those things caused her death."
>
> Local media said the animal's barb had impaled the woman through the
> neck.
>
> Eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near
> coral reefs. The spotted creatures can grow to more than 8 feet 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 Web
> site.
>
> The rays often swim near the water's surface and can leap out,
> 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," Pino said.
>
> Steve Irwin, the host of the "Crocodile Hunter" television show was
> killed by another type of ray while filming underwater on Australia's
> Great Barrier Reef in 2006. He died when a stingray's barb pierced his
> heart.
>
> (Editing by Jim Loney and Bill Trott)

Didn't a very similar incident occur last year and by that I mean, a ray
jumping into the boat and injuring someone? The incident I'm recalling was
not that long after Steve Irwin died.

On Thu, 20 Mar 2008 21:34:26 -0400, El Stroko Guapo wrote:

> And it was a very healthy, fat ray. Unfortunately, it was also killed.

Not surprising... Gotta teach those rays that we're not pin cushions...

--
See NNTP header field "X-Real-Email-Address" to reply by email.

"Al Wells" <al.wells@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.224c8358a5d7f40f989a17@news.verizon.net.. .
> Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
> Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT
>
> By Jane Sutton
>
> MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
> on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
> and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.
>
> "It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an agent with the Florida
> Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
>
> The 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 and
> somehow the barb penetrated some part of her body, which caused her to
> fall back and hit her head on some portion of the vessel," Pino said.
> "We don't know exactly which one of those things caused her death."
>
> Local media said the animal's barb had impaled the woman through the
> neck.
>
> Eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near
> coral reefs. The spotted creatures can grow to more than 8 feet 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 Web
> site.
>
> The rays often swim near the water's surface and can leap out,
> 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," Pino said.
>
> Steve Irwin, the host of the "Crocodile Hunter" television show was
> killed by another type of ray while filming underwater on Australia's
> Great Barrier Reef in 2006. He died when a stingray's barb pierced his
> heart.
>
> (Editing by Jim Loney and Bill Trott)

"Al Wells" <al.wells@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.224c8358a5d7f40f989a17@news.verizon.net.. .
> Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
> Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT
>
> By Jane Sutton
>
> MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
> on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
> and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.

If only she was carrying a concealed weapon

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:gaEEj.99857$w94.73884@pd7urf2no...
>
> "Al Wells" <al.wells@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.224c8358a5d7f40f989a17@news.verizon.net.. .
>> Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
>> Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT
>>
>> By Jane Sutton
>>
>> MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
>> on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
>> and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.
>>
>> "It's a bizarre accident," said Jorge Pino, an agent with the Florida
>> Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
>>
>> The 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 and
>> somehow the barb penetrated some part of her body, which caused her to
>> fall back and hit her head on some portion of the vessel," Pino said.
>> "We don't know exactly which one of those things caused her death."
>>
>> Local media said the animal's barb had impaled the woman through the
>> neck.
>>
>> Eagle rays are common in warm or tropical waters and are often seen near
>> coral reefs. The spotted creatures can grow to more than 8 feet 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 Web
>> site.
>>
>> The rays often swim near the water's surface and can leap out,
>> 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," Pino said.
>>
>> Steve Irwin, the host of the "Crocodile Hunter" television show was
>> killed by another type of ray while filming underwater on Australia's
>> Great Barrier Reef in 2006. He died when a stingray's barb pierced his
>> heart.
>>
>> (Editing by Jim Loney and Bill Trott)
>
> Didn't a very similar incident occur last year and by that I mean, a ray
> jumping into the boat and injuring someone? The incident I'm recalling
> was
> not that long after Steve Irwin died.

A dolphin killed or severely injured a lady in NZ by jumping into a boat
iirc. Think this happened shortly after the Irwin incident
>
>

dechucka wrote:

> "Al Wells" <al.wells@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:MPG.224c8358a5d7f40f989a17@news.verizon.net.. .
>
>>Jumping eagle ray kills boater off Florida Keys
>>Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:00pm EDT
>>
>>By Jane Sutton
>>
>>MIAMI (Reuters) - An eagle ray leaped onto a boat off the Florida Keys
>>on Thursday and stabbed a woman with its barb, knocking her to the deck
>>and killing her, a Florida wildlife investigator said.
>
>
> If only she was carrying a concealed weapon
>
>

probably wouldn't have helped since it appears she fell and hit her
head, but nice try