Steve Irwin

[OUMike]

its wierd. I always joked about it happening with all the crazy stuff he did. Never think it acutally would.

 

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Killed

September 4, 2006, 1:39 AM EDT

 

BRISBANE, Australia -- Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44.

 

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

 

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was diving near Low Isles Reef near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of the state capital of Brisbane.

 

Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef but refused to say who the victim was until relatives had been notified.

 

A rescue helicopter was sent from the nearby city of Cairns, and paramedics from it confirmed the diver's death.

 

"The probable cause of death is stingray strike to the chest," Hamil said.

 

Staff at Australia Zoo, Irwin's zoo in southern Queensland, said they had heard the reports but could not comment.

 

Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter," which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on the Discovery channel.

 

He rode his image into a feature film, and developed the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction.

 

Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at the Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his 1-year-old son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the 13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other.

 

Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating safety regulations.

 

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken.

 

Irwin was also seen as a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections.

 

Irwin told the Australian television program "A Current Affair" that "killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me."

 

He is survived by his American wife Terri, from Oregon, and their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December.

[KJsDenali]

I just heard about that...very sad!

[SoCalChris]

That's too bad. Although it isn't entirely unexpected, I do feel bad for his wife and kids. At least he died doing what he loved though.

[roden001]

the Reuters article says it was a stingray barb through the chest:

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060904/people...tralia_irwin_dc

[Wingnut]

I bet that hurt like a mofo.

 

 

Any bets on how long it'll be before the video shows up?

[Elwood 2000]

This is too bad. We watch his shows all the time and have for years. The kids really love him.

[OUMike]

I bet that hurt like a mofo.

 

 

Any bets on how long it'll be before the video shows up?

 

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Yea, I thought the same thing. Couldn't have felt good.

 

yea, if those videos ever show up, I dun think I'll be watching them. Something about watching a man die for real (not in a movie) kinda creepy. But your probably right. Someone will manage to get a hold of them.

[General Lee 01]

Wow.... Just Wow

 

 

RIP Steve Irwin

[defyrfytr]

I guess he went doing what he loved. Steve will be wrestling crocs forever....

[Wingnut]

I guess he went doing what he loved.  Steve will be wrestling crocs forever....

 

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Hey now, if that's what's going on in heaven....

 

*heads off in hell-bent-hot- pursuit of hookers and blow*

[MustGoFaster]

He will be missed. I guess it's truly irony that he was killed by one of the least (recordedly) lethal animals he's ever studied. He was probably the most influential naturalist since Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. an entire generation of kids have grown up with this guy. I don't have kids myself, but I have seen how many jsut love to watch the show, and it's fairly entertainig for myself as well. Hopefully there will be someone as talented someday soon to take up his cause and fill the gap he leaves behind.

[facn8me]

I too was saddened but not totally suprised it happened. I know I will look at the stingray a little differently now.

[Scyry]

I spent many hours in college watching his shows, Animal Planet and Comedy Central during the day was about all there was.

 

I think Jack Hanna said it best so far, "It's a tragic thing. It's unbelievable, really. When you think of Steve Irwin, you think of people who are invincible."

 

I feel really bad for his Daughter having to see that happen. He is still my favorite, animal show host. No one was more, geniuenly excited about every animal he saw.

[GMSea97]

It does seem unfitting though. He should have went down with more of a bang, like a great white shark attack or something. Not a stingray, you can even pet those in seaworld, its amazing how deadly they really are. Who would have thought.

[SoCalChris]

Crikey mate, d'ya see that? He got me right in the ches...

 

I feel really bad for his Daughter having to see that happen.  He is still my favorite, animal show host.  No one was more, geniuenly excited about every animal he saw.

 

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From what I've heard, his daughter didn't see it. It was a piece he was filming for her show, but she was in Tasmania with her mom & brother when it happened. I do hope that she doesn't grow up feeling responsible since it was for her show.

 

I agree with you about him being the best animal show host. He really got the audience into it, and excited about the animals he was working with. All of the other hosts that I've seen are either boring, annoying, or seems like they're trying too hard to be interesting. Steve could jump in, and make anything interesting to watch.