Crocodile Hunter dies in fatal sting by Stingray!

[Acriku]

Holy crap man... I loved that guy...

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aNNC36mhowR8&refer=home

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Killed by Stingray (Update3)

By Yuko Narushima

Sept. 4 (Bloomberg) -- Australian television star Steve Irwin, known as the ``Crocodile Hunter,'' died after a stingray's barb pierced his heart during the filming of a documentary, police said.

The 44-year-old collapsed and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was filming at Batt Reef, near Port Douglas, a popular tourist resort, when the incident occurred about 11 a.m. today, the Queensland Police Service said in an e-mailed statement.

``He died doing what he loves best,'' Irwin's friend and producer John Stainton said in a statement from Australia Zoo, Irwin's reptile and wildlife park. He ``left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. Crocs rule!''

Irwin shot to fame after his first wildlife documentary, ``The Crocodile Hunter,'' became a global hit. He went on to film 53 episodes of the Emmy award-nominated ``Croc Files'' and ``The Crocodile Hunter Diaries'' which chronicled his day-to-day life working at Australia Zoo.

Irwin also appeared on ``The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and ``The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,'' and collaborated with Australian children's entertainers the Wiggles, to film ``The Wiggles: Wiggly Safari.''

Prime Minister John Howard today paid tribute to Irwin as a ``passionate environmentalist.''

``Steve used his television programs and his award-winning Australia Zoo to promote a serious conservation message,'' Howard said in a statement. ``He made an extraordinary contribution to creating a widespread appreciation of the value and uniqueness of Australian wildlife.''

Crikey!

The attack would have been ``like being stabbed in the heart,'' Geoff Isbister, a clinical toxinologist at Newcastle's Mater hospital said in a statement distributed by the Australian Science Media Centre.

``It has little to do with the venom and all to do with the trauma caused by the barb,'' he said.

Stingrays aren't aggressive and sting only when threatened, said Bryan Fry, deputy director of the Australian Venom Research Unit at the University of Melbourne. ``It didn't sting out of aggression, it stung out of fear.''

Using his catch-cry of `Crikey,' Irwin promoted Australian tourism and appeared in television advertisements extolling the country's quarantine services.

Irwin began catching crocodiles as a nine-year-old, learning from his father who started the reptile park that would become Australia Zoo.

He created a furor in 2004 when he was shown holding his one-month-old son near a feeding crocodile.

In 2003, he told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that he was perceived as ``a little bit embarrassing'' by Australians.

``They kind of cringe, you know, 'cause I'm coming out with `Crikey' and `Look at this beauty,' he said at the time. ``I'm fair dinkum, like kangaroos and Land Cruisers, winged keels and bloody flies. I think we've lost all that. I think we've become very, sort of, money people,'' the ABC reported on its Web site.

Irwin is survived by his wife Terri and two children, son Bob and daughter Bindi.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yuko Narushima in Sydney at ynarushima@bloomberg.net

Another article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1864565,00.html

[Andrew]

Sad.

Would have been ironic if he had died by a crocodile.

[Megashrap]

Damn shame, I and the kids watched alot of his shows. RIP

[Apollyon]

It's kind of ironic he didn't die by a crocodile.

[erjin999]

There was him and there was at least another (copy ?) and I am getting confused as to which was which, although I think I know which one he is...perhaps.

Either way, its not good. Its a shame.

[Tako]

shame, always a shame when some-one dies (needless or not)

[Cyborg]

The ironic thing here is that he actually died by this "harmless" being. Seemingly, only two people have died from stingrays before Steve in the history of Australia...

[Acriku]

It's sad, he was a man for the animals. Live by them, die by them.

[Tezcatlipoca]

That's no good. He was good solid entertainment, and more importantly, worked (effectively) to dispel many of the myths surrounding some of the more classically considered "bad" animals in the world.

[Cyborg]

He was my facourite wild life programme host.

[erjin999]

I now know who it is for shure, I saw the vid of him on tv news.

Without a doubt the best. He made animals interesting with his crazy enthusiasm. He made we want to watch them, and I dont think anyone but a half nakend woman would normally make me want to watch wildlife !

[jeff2429]

Can't say I haven't watch his shows a few times.  Damb shame.

[Nuvollari]

I am really sorry for him..I liked his shows but i didnt like the thing when he was playing with the croc and his baby, that was really retarted to be honest.Anyway Rip

[Cyborg]

The baby was perfectly safe. I don't know why people had anything against that.

[Nuvollari]

Safe as hell...On that thing i hope that we all share the same opinions because it was really retarted.The Croc could ate the poor baby like the stupid Stingray killed Steve....That was a stupid accident.

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://blogs.salon.com/0001561/images/2004/01/09/SteveIrwinAgain.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.salon.com/0001561/2004/01/09.html&h=201&w=300&sz=13&hl=en&start=11&tbnid=l6iTiBERwITWtM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsteve%2Birwin%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

[lowzeewee]

Irwin was in total control of the situation throughout that whole controversial session. Did you think he would risk being filmed on national television getting his own child decapitated in his arms, in front of a large audience at a national zoo? Though, it was quite obscene and inhumane in some way to be parading live fleshy, tender human meat in that way.

[fedaykyn]

Yes what a shame wonderful guy with a great sense of humor. I was lucky enough to see him queit a few times @ his Zoo. We used to take the kids there all the time since we live on 30min drive from his zoo. Wont be the same without him there he always made the croc shows. I got some good photos of him in action is there anyway I can show you guys on this site?

RIP m8ate

[Andrew]

Well, you could upload some onto imageshack.us

or if the files are not too large or big (maybe scale them down?)

Click on additional options when making a post (below text input area)

Attach files.

[lord vernius of ix]

its not just a shame its a damn shame... we lost one of the crazyiest people i know of and who will replace him? now theres a hole in the system were unbalanced! this is almost as bad as when elvis died or if ozzy were to die the due was a superstar...(i feel sorry for australia[this qoute is in no waymeant to beinsulting])

[Edric O]

I loved the guy and I'm really sad to see him gone... but it's not as if this was completely unexpected. I always thought he would eventually end up killed by some of the wild animals he played around with.

But I didn't expect it to come so soon. You will be dearly missed, Steve. God bless your soul.

Too many good people have died this year.