( dpa ) - A 55-year-old woman sunbathing off the coast of Florida died in a freak accident Thursday after a large spotted eagle ray leapt into her boat, authorities said.
An investigation was underway to determine whether her fatal injuries came from being struck by the 35-kilogramme ray or if in a panic she slipped and hit her head, or a combination of both, said Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The woman from Michigan was on the boat off the Florida Keys with her husband and an unspecified number of children, Pino said.
Monroe County Sheriff Deputy Becky Herrin called the incident "bizarre. The ray just jumped in the boat," she said.