MARATHON, Fla. (CBS) ― A woman has died in a freak accident in the Florida Keys.
Jorge Pino, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said a woman was on a boat with her family off Marathon, Fla. when an Eagle Ray jumped out of the water next to the vessel Thursday morning. The animal reportedly struck the 55-year old woman who fell backward and suffered a severe head trauma.
Initial reports had indicated that the animal's sharp defensive barb, located near the base of its tail, had lodged in the woman's neck.
The woman, who was from Michigan, died before help could arrive.
Investigators say the victim, whose name has not been made public, was aboard a boat with here sister, father, and mother.
An eyewitness told CBS Station WFOR-TV in Miami that a child had been injured and was taken to a hospital, but that report has not been confirmed by investigators.
The Eagle Ray is common in the waters off South Florida and the Florida Keys.
These rays can grow extremely large; up to 16 feet in length including the tail with a wingspan of up to 8 feet. The long tail, which is armed with sharp poisonous barbs, looks like a whip and may be as long as the body.
Eagle Rays live close to the coast in depths of 3 to 60 feet and in exceptional cases they are found as deep as 900 feet.
The Eagle Ray is most commonly seen along sandy beaches in very shallow waters. The ray's two wings sometimes break the surface and giving the impression of two sharks traveling together.
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