Marathon News Archives

An autopsy on a 20-year-old Deerfield Beach woman killed Saturday night confirms she was killed by a single gunshot wound to her chest, authorities said Monday. via South Florida Sun-Sentinel

“We all miss Judy dearly. It just really hasn't even sunk in yet”

Authorities have released the tapes of the 911 calls from the day a woman was killed in a collision with a spotted eagle ray in the Florida Keys. via NBC Channel 6

Investigators say they believe a single bullet killed a woman and injured her boyfriend in their Florida Keys hotel room. via FOX30Online

One of the grim realities of life in the Keys is that there isn't much water on the Florida Bay side of the islands. via HeraldTribune.com

Here's one of Yahoo.com's most viewed pictures of the day. A woman has died in a freak accident in the Florida Keys. via WBZ TV

The spotted eagle stingray which killed a Michigan woman is seen in this photo released by the Monroe County Sheriff's Dept. via The Florida Times-Union

“They do jump; and if a boat going by, they can land in the boat, and if you're hit directly, they can knock you over”

A vacationer from Michigan headed out for a family fishing trip in the Florida Keys died instantly Thursday after a 75-pound spotted eagle stingray flew out of the water and struck her in the head as she stood in the bow of an open boat.

Judy Kay Zagorski, 55, who operates a marina on Lake Huron, is thought to have been killed by blunt force trauma, according to Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Fisherman's Hospital in Marathon. 'Out of nowhere, a spotted eagle ray pops up in front of the boat and collides with the victim,' Pino said. 'There was nothing anybody could have done in that situation. They were just out having a good time. It's a sad, sad situation.' Zagorski's 88-year-old father, Virgil Bouck, was driving the 25-foot boat about 25 miles an hour through Vaca Cut toward the open Atlantic Ocean when the bizarre incident took place about 10 a.m., Pino said. Pino said investigators think Zagorski died instantly from the impact; so did the ray. The boat deck was splattered with blood, he said. Also aboard the boat were Zagorski's mother, Verneta, and her sister, Joyce Ann Miller, Pino said. With both Zagorski and the dead ray on the deck of the boat, Pino said Zagorski's family headed back to their rented vacation home. Neighbor Marcia Corcoran said she heard the family pull away from the dock for a fishing trip and then return minutes later. 'All of a sudden I heard Verneta say, 'Call 911.' So my husband grabbed the phone and called,' Corcoran said. Read more

MARATHON, Fla. Officials in Florida are investigating a bizarre death. Jorge Pino, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said a woman was killed by a stingray off Marathon, reported CBS ... via WCBS

“We expect everyone to be vacated from their properties, but we think we'll need her to finish up some paperwork”

Authorities have identified the man killed Saturday when his SUV slammed into an overpass abutment and burst into flames. via Palm Beach Post

CORRESPONDENT PHOTO / MORGAN STINEMETZ The Seven Mile Bridge over Moser Channel has a 65-foot clearance and is located west of Marathon. via HeraldTribune.com

“I kept thinking, "I've got a chance, I've got a chance, I've got to go for it,' ”

Here's the lede, as we say in the newspaper business, for my front page feature on Sunday's Sarasota Marathon: When Ted Murray faltered, just 100 yards from the finish line, the crowd gasped. via HeraldTribune.com

“I am volunteering because it is a great cause and I want to be part of it. This event gives us an opportunity to support each other and participate in such a worthy event”

Sailors, Department of Defense civilians, retirees and family members from NAS Jacksonville and NS Mayport gather for photo before the start of the inaugural 26.2 Run with Donna The National Marathon to Fight ... via JaxAir News