Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin

[LI Diver]

Was this stingray the same animal that people swim with at stingray city and that my children and myself hand fed while literally being mobbed by them in the Curacao Seaquarium? I remember pushing them away for fear of having my mask or reg dislodged. The ones in Curacao were black on the top and white on the underbelly. The ones I see while in the Key's are grey on top and white underneath (Southern Stingray I believe).

 

[DennisW]

An unusual situation, indeed. It will be interesting if we ever find out the details. In any case, I will miss his shows on TV and my prayers go out to his family and friends.

 

[teamacacia]

Was this stingray the same animal that people swim with at stingray city and that my children and myself hand fed while literally being mobbed by them in the Curacao Seaquarium? I remember pushing them away for fear of having my mask or reg dislodged. The ones in Curacao were black on the top and white on the underbelly. The ones I see while in the Key's are grey on top and white underneath (Southern Stingray I believe).

After a bit of googling (not that familiar with ocean marine life), I believe so.

 

[wardric]

very sad news :sad:

 

[teamacacia]

This is certainly not the way I expected to begin my morning. Prayers and condolences to the Irwin family. They have done wonders for education and protection of the environment, he will be missed immensly.

 

[Brandnew2Scuba]

Crocodile Hunter.com confirms it. I can't believe it, I must admit my favorite Croc Hunter moments were when he would take a bite from some snake or something, but I would never wish something like this on him. He was awesome, and will be missed around the world.

 

[SohoDozo]

I wonder if Steve Irwin had written a letter to his wife, kids and family just in case a situation like this ever arose. If so, I would love to know what it says. A man like that must know that his passion would soon day threaten his life. Not that this is a problem. Passion is good and if that is where it gets us in the end, then so be it.

But you wouldn't catch me doing what he did!

 

[ManilaMike]

I just got back from spending the weekend tackling my IDC open water demonstrations. We were lucky enough to have spotted many rays while diving - albeit their bigger cousins, the manta, eagle and devil. While we were debriefing, a bloke from down under - we get a lot of them here in the Philippines - told us that Steve Irwin had died from a stingray strike. We all looked at each other in disbelief. One of the guys said that unless he was allergic or it hit him in the jugular or heart he should have been okay. So we turned on the BBC and caught one of the Aussie ambulance attendants saying that he got tagged directly under the ribcage and that the seven inch spine pierced his heart. It didn't break off, but the toxins and damage from the puncture caused immediate arrest. His staff tried to revive him on the boat but he was DOA at the Queensland hospital they took him to. One of the crew commented that he had accidentally landed on a submerged ray while playing to the camera.

I realize it is not the same, but I can't tell you how many divers with cameras get stung or stuck by sea life here. The distraction is too much and the problem too abundant.

God bless his wife and two very young children. They are too little to understand that he was too young and a great environmentalist. I hope they grow up to appreciate nature as we all do. That will be a serious scar that will need a long time to heal.

 

[Doubles]

What a tragic loss for the world! He will be missed. Steve Irwin was universal, one of the few well known world wide. A great ambassador for conservation and the animal kingdom. Sure he was over the top and many of his clips should have been captioned with "never try this at home"

He was inspirational, someone that virtually everyone could connect with. There have been a lot of animal shows over the years but none that would ever come close to the level that Steve Irwin reached.

Condolences to the family -

I hope the media will respect their privacy in this sad time. Being the family man that I believe he was, the pain his family must feel is simply unfathomable.

He was doing something that he loved - there is a lot to be said for that.

Certainly makes one reconsider the safety of things like stingray city

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Here is an extract from the AP with more news of the tragic incident.

CAIRNS, Australia (AP) - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and conservationist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.

Irwin was at Batt Reef, off the remote coast of northeastern Queensland state, shooting a segment for a series called "Ocean's Deadliest" when he swam too close to one of the animals, which have a poisonous bard on their tails, his friend and colleague John Stainton said.

"He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat at the time.

Crew members aboard the boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later, Stainton said.

*********8

 

[damo]

This is a great loss, not only to australia but to the entire world. Steve Irwin left us all to early. Not to mention his children, who will have to grow up watching his documentaries to know their incredible father.

His work for conservation and his love of wildlife will live on.