Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin

[alcina]

Oh my - how out of the blue! All the news carriers here are reporting as if it's real...

A stingray barb into the chest...I just can't visualise the circumstances.

I remember similar disbelief with Diana...

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

It appears to be the real thing, lots of agencies are picking it up now.

THE Crocodile Man, Steve Irwin, is dead. He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said.

It is understood he was killed by a sting-ray barb that went through his chest.

He was 44.

He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the incident happened.

Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality this morning at Batt Reef off Port Douglas.

It is understood Mr Irwin was killed around midday, Eastern Australian time.

Irwin leaves his wife Terri and young children Bob and and Bindi

 

[Diver Dennis]

Gosh, that is a very freak accident...

 

[archman]

Now CNN's reporting it. Probably not a hoax, then.

Too bad, I really liked that guy. I suppose karma finally caught up with him, with all the close encounters he's had over the years. I've read that getting a barb to the chest is one of the few ways to get oneself killed outright by a stingray. It very nearly happened to me once... terrifying.

 

[Mako Mark]

"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Crikey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

 

[alcina]

Just out of curiosity arch, how did it happen to you?

I see that wikipedia says that it's not the "venom" it's severing an artery that can cause death.

I just can't picture the scenario myself...

 

[Diver Dennis]

I was thinking the same thing alcina. It must have cut an artery or something, perhaps in the neck area.

 

[Immense]

This sucks.. I loved his show and he seemed to be an all around good guy.. My thoughts are with his family.

 

[Aquanautchuck]

I am in shock..... Thats so tragic. My prayers go out to his wife and two children. I really enjoyed wathing him especially the show when he filmed coming here to Oregon to visit his wife's family and area she grew up.

Charles

 

[SparticleBrane]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin

The internet is scary fast...