Girl Killed By Sturgeon Fish: Jayln Rippy’s Family Asks For Help With Funeral

The family of a girl killed by sturgeon fish leaping out of the water is asking for help. Little five-year-old Jayln Rippy was killed by the jumping sturgeon this past Thursday when the family was on the Suwannee River near Fanning Springs, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But two other members of the Rippy family were injured and they need surgery.

In a related report by the Inquisitr, if you are wondering what exactly is a sturgeon fish then click the link for more information.

Writing on their GoFundMe fundraising page, the Rippy family explained the story of the girl killed by the sturgeon fish and why they are asking for money.

“The Rippy family was involved in an accident on Thursday, July 2, 2015 where a sturgeon collided with their boat. Their precious baby Jayln became an angel early July 3, 2015. Tanya and Trevor will both have to see specialist and face possible surgeries. This family will also face the cost of the funeral. Please donate what you can and continue to keep them in your prayers more than everything!”

In addition to the death of Jayln Rippy, her mother, Tanya, sustained injuries to the face, mostly around her eyes. Trevor’s arm was broken during the incident. The family has raised $13,216 as of this publishing, which is a little more than half of their $25,000 goal.

Four people have been injured by jumping sturgeon fish in 2015, although the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said this is the first fatality recorded from a sturgeon strike on the Suwannee River. The worst case involved a 50-year-old woman who suffered a ruptured spleen in addition to losing multiple fingers.

The FWC also used the incident to remind anyone on the river to wear life jackets and they highly recommend staying away from the bow of the watercraft.

“With the low water levels in the river system, the sturgeon are jumping much more frequently than in recent years,” said Maj. Andy Krause, FWC regional commander in Lake City, according to WTSP. “We want everyone boating on the Suwannee and Santa Fe Rivers to be aware that the sturgeon are jumping and that people have been injured.”

Biologists are not certain why sturgeon fish jump like they do, although their acrobatics often depend on the water levels, but they assure the public that the girl killed by sturgeon fish was completely an accident. According to the Tampa Bay Times, jumping sturgeon fish are not purposefully attempting to attack people.

[Image via GoFundMe]