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LAKE CITY, Fla. (AP) — Funeral plans are set for a 5-year-old north Florida girl who died after being struck by a sturgeon that leaped into the boat she was riding in with her family.
The Gainesville Sun (http://bit.ly/1ILBwSQ ), citing a funeral announcement, reports the funeral for Jaylon Leighann Rippy is planned for Saturday in Chiefland. She died last Friday, hours after the sturgeon jumped into the family's boat.
Officials say the girl's mother Tanya Rippy suffered facial injuries and her 9-year-old brother Trevor Rippy 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.
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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