RIP Steve Irwin

[ali]

sad to say.... i bagged this guy out a lot, but he did a lot for awareness in australia, and probably overseas too, about crocodiles and the importance of preserving our precious natural environment & wildlife

"World famous wildlife warrior Steve Irwin has died in a freak accident on the Great Barrier Reef, killed by a stingray barb which pierced his chest.  Friends believe the Crocodile Hunter, 44, may have died instantly when struck by the stingray while filming a sequence for his eight-year-old daughter Bindi's new TV series.  The TV star and naturalist's final, fatal confrontation with a wild animal occurred in shallow water at Batt Reef off Port Douglas on Monday morning.  Unconscious, he was pulled aboard his research vessel, Croc One, for a 30-minute dash to Low Isle, where an emergency helicopter had been summoned at about 11am, his Australia Zoo said in a statement.  The crew of the Croc One performed constant CPR during the voyage to Low Isle, but medical staff pronounced Mr Irwin dead about noon.  Mr Irwin's death was only the third known stingray death in Australian waters, said shark and stingray expert Victoria Brims.  Wildlife experts said the normally passive creatures only sting in defence, striking with a bayonet-like barb when they feel threatened or are trodden on.  Those with Mr Irwin say he was swimming in shallow water, snorkelling as his cameraman filmed large bull rays. "He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray's barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Mr Irwin's friend and manager John Stainton. Mr Stainton said he and Mr Irwin were in north Queensland to film a new documentary called Ocean's Deadliest. "It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don't think that he ... felt any pain. "He died doing what he loved best."

crikey, steve! what a way to go....

[Dee.]

R.I.P. Steve.  

Man, I was so bummed out to hear this news.

[dragonboy]

That's really sad/shocking news.
I thought I didn't like the guy but I was passing judgement not having seen his show.
I saw a few episodes on Animal Planet & thought he was great! His passion for the animals that he was filming/working with really shined through & he was a really lively/entertaining presenter.
Big shame...

[MyLifeISought]

Really weird shit. It's a shame. Although, i must say, that job can't have the highest life expectancy

[EAZYE]

If you gotta go, then going doing what you love best, is the way to go.  Croc, you will be missed. :'(

[BH]

What a shame.  Was there anyone more passionate for life than this man?  Wow.  What a character.

[tomEisenbraun]

Man, that's awful. His presence will definitely be missed. But that's definitely one heck of a way to go out.

[MMJ_fanatic]

boy, this got posted quick--I just came on to see if anyone posted and there was a full blown thread!  Poor Steve, we'll miss ya mate!  Toss some shrimp on that heavenly barby for us!  R.I.P.

[ratsprayer]

although being a bit strange, his enthusiasm and passion shined through in his work.  i respect that he died doing something he loved.  

[dragonboy]

although being a bit strange

I saw a clip last night on BBC World that I hadn't seen before where he took his baby into the crocodile enclosure with him.
Not sure that that was such a good idea...

[red]

This is so terrible.  

RIP Steve.

Seriously, a stingray?  I thought forsure if he died from an animal attack it would've been by a T-Rex.  

[Tree]

RIP STEVE  :-[

[ali]

it's weird general reaction has been here since monday... in the main melbourne newspaper this morning there are 6 full pages on steve, the accident, his fame etc etc.  most are praising him as being someone who lived life to the fullest / made a lot of money doing what he was passionate about / someone who cared a lot about animals & the environment with an endless amount of enthusiasm... but creeping in are a fair few articles and comments taking the other side of the argument - that this was only a matter of time, given the way that he tromped around the bush (not the most sensitive approach), and that he continuously took stupid risks (in order to captivate an audience? i realise that this was just the way the man was, but it was definitely exploited to make more interesting tv)

even germaine greer had her two cents in:
"the animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven times too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo owners in their turn."

personally i think its tragic, because he should have known better (and probably should have been a bit more careful) and now his wife & little kids don't have their dad. that is way more tragic than all the "australia has lost its ambassador" crap that's going round at the moment.

[ycartrob]

even germaine greer had her two cents in:
"the animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven times too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo owners in their turn."

it's sensationalized, angry  writing like this that makes me  wonder about germaine greers motives (and heart). "a whole generation of kids...determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo owners"? So, now, millions (millions!) of kids now have a sole motive to become millionaire animal-loving zoo owners b/c of Steve Irwin? That's their exact purpose in life, and we have Steve Irwin to blame. Go fuck yourself, seriously.

And I'm not even a Steve Irwin fan. germaine greer has (and always has had) a chip on her shoulder the size of an alligator. Fucking nonsense.

[ali]

germaine greer has (and always has had) a chip on her shoulder the size of an alligator

i agree, but shouldn't that be crocodile? (no alligators in oz)  ;)

[primushead]

Ouch.


What a way to go.