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Funeral set for US girl killed by leaping sturgeon
LAKE CITY, Fla. – Funeral plans are set for a 5-year-old Florida girl who died after being struck by a sturgeon that leaped into the boat she was riding in with her family.
A local newspaper reports the funeral for Jaylon Leighann Rippy is planned for Saturday. She died last Friday, hours after the sturgeon jumped into the family’s boat.
Officials say the girl’s mother suffered facial injuries and her 9-year-old brother suffered a broken wrist.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says this was the first fatality recorded from a sturgeon strike on the Suwannee River in northern Florida.
The fish are known for leaping more than 7 feet above the water. They can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds.
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Information from: The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun, http://www.gainesvillesun.com
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