crickey, im dead!

linkypoo

Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, has died after being struck by a stingray barb in Queensland.

Mr Irwin, 44 died after the stingray barb went through his chest while he was shooting a documentary off Port Douglas.
The Queensland Police Service has confirmed Mr Irwin's death. In a statement, it said Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung by a sting ray at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas, about 11am.
After being struck, Mr Irwin's crew called for medical treatment and the Emergency Management Queensland Helicopter responded, but he was dead before the treatment arrived.
The statement said Mr Irwin's family has been advised.
His American-born wife Terri is reported to be trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania.
A spokesman for the Queensland Ambulance Service said officers attended the scene on Low Isles via helicopter at 12.04pm today and arrived back in Cairns at 12.53pm.
"The area it was delivered to was the problem. A sting ray hit to the chest is a big problem," he said.
Mr Irwin - known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter - is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!".
The father of two's Crocodile Hunter program was first broadcast in 1992 and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.
He also starred in movies and has developed the Australia Zoo wildlife park, north of Brisbane, which was started by his parents Bob and Lyn Irwin.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.
Mr Irwin was heavily involved in last year's "G'Day LA" campaign.
"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," a spokesman said.
A spokeswoman for Irwin's Australia Zoo said she was aware of reports of his death and the zoo would not be making any statements at this stage.
According to the zoo's website, Irwin was born in Victoria in 1962, but
moved with his family to Queensland in 1970 when his father, Bob, started a reptile park on the Sunshine Coast.
Irwin married American Terri Raines in 1992 after she visited the zoo
on holiday.
:wings:

Someone told me around 8 this evening and I couldn't believe them..... but now I know the truth... wow....

Oh man,there goes my $50.

i bet he'd get gelded by a croc, and die that way... oh well.

thats so sad, and it ruins my night...imma smoke a bowl for steve tonight...

::sigh:: its gonna be a long sad day :/

After all that, a sting ray did him in? -sigh-

ya bummer ,,i seen it this morn at 3am on the news..RIP. Steve ,croc's every will miss you ..

wow...oh well, bound to have an 'oopsy' eventualy

i was awakened by anthony pants calling to tell me this.
so it doesnt make me chipper haha.

on the phone i was like "so how did it happen, let me guess some animal killed him"
& shabam. i was right.

im not even sure if my brain can believe this yet. what the fuck! fucking stingrays...

reminds me of that south park episode

whats sad/ironic is that this is the 2nd documented stingray attack in the world, the last one happened in 1945...poor steve

it's sad. considering how much he did for the aussie national parks and animal awareness and education. the thing is he had what I call Hagrid Syndrome. He believed that because he loved the animals they wouldn't hurt him. He was the kind of guy who could look at a three headed hell hound that would only bite you into peices so each head would get a bit, and call it Fluffy. The kind of guy that would rescue and raise a spider that grew to be as big as a house becasue no one else would.

But as for as his fate, I really can't say I'm suprised. If he'd been hit by a truck or fell off a cliff I would be taken aback. But the animal, be it the oddest attack ever, doesn't really raise my eyebrows.

K

Yeah, I really think he truely believed he was invincible.
I guess his wife is trekking a mountain in like tanzania or something and she doesnt even know yet

his wifes back from TASMANIA (its the island shaped like a ladies pubic hair at the bottom of aus')
the media is going nuts over it down here, i think its cos everyone thought hed be done in by a croc

Yeah that really is sad. I thought in the end he'd maybe be attacked by a croc, but what are the chances of the stingray barb going through somebody's chest, really? The fact is, even if it hadn't pierced him right into his chest, the poison wouldv'e probably gone straight to his heart anyway, so he'd have been screwed either way.
I feel sorry for his poor wife and kids. :(

"A stingray? A damn stingray? This dude spent 40 hours a day poking dinosaurs with sticks and he gets it from a damn stingray? They're supposed to sting and ray things, not impale people who entertain me. They're damn fish, not Jason. You're not funny Irony. This is why everybody hates you."

From WWTDD.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Baby_Switchblade

Yeah that really is sad. I thought in the end he'd maybe be attacked by a croc, but what are the chances of the stingray barb going through somebody's chest, really? The fact is, even if it hadn't pierced him right into his chest, the poison wouldv'e probably gone straight to his heart anyway, so he'd have been screwed either way.
I feel sorry for his poor wife and kids. :(

---

The problem was that it tore into his heart. The venom in a stingray isn't so poisonous that it's fatal. If he'd been stung in the leg or something he'd have been fine.

It is tragic for the family he left behind. Let's get real, however: Mr. Irwin spent his life antagonizing deadly animals. His demise was a result of his own behavior. It borders on a Darwin Award.

OEC

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OneEyedCat

It is tragic for the family he left behind. Let's get real, however: Mr. Irwin spent his life antagonizing deadly animals. His demise was a result of his own behavior. It borders on a Darwin Award.

OEC

---

Which is what makes his death in this manner so ironic.


Stingrays are generally incredibly tocile, even friendly creatures and there hasn't been a fatality from them since 1954.

According to the statements made by his producer, he wasn't antagonizing or even interacting with the animal, he merely swam above it.

The way they cover themselves with sand and dirt for camoflague on the ocean floor, he may not even have known the thing was there.

Snakebite? Sure. Croc-mauling? Of course. But stingray attack? Nobody saw that one coming.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rockwulf

Which is what makes his death in this manner so ironic.


Stingrays are generally incredibly tocile, even friendly creatures and there hasn't been a fatality from them since 1954.

According to the statements made by his producer, he wasn't antagonizing or even interacting with the animal, he merely swam above it.

The way they cover themselves with sand and dirt for camoflague on the ocean floor, he may not even have known the thing was there.

Snakebite? Sure. Croc-mauling? Of course. But stingray attack? Nobody saw that one coming.

---

According to ABC http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2395307&page=1, there have been 17-30 similar deaths by stingray in the last decade. It is rare, however. There is speculation that the 'ray was frightened by the cameraman filming it from the front. It sounds like the 'ray felt trapped and lashed out. I doubt we'll ever know conclusively. It was all caught on tape, but that should not be released.

OEC

The tape shows Irwin in shallow water following a large stingray, Cropp said. The animal "probably felt threatened because Steve was alongside and there was the cameraman ahead, and it felt there was danger and it baulked. It stopped and went into a defensive mode and swung its tail with the spike."

http://people.aol.com/people/article...531534,00.html

The reports are all over the place on this. I'm still going with The Darwin Award for now, however.

OEC

yeah stingrays have a nasty defense machanism not only that but the oceans a dangerous place

that guy sure made me laugh tho, but I figured he would have lasted a few more years

Poor ol Steve..... Damn.....his kids are gonna grow up and avenge his death....there lives will be devoted to hunting down and killing that damn stingray............But he was crazy as Surely died in a crazy way ...( i mean the man was dangling his baby infront of a Crocodile......wow....but....hmmm....Ill Miss him..........here's to you steve ( Drinks Mt. Dew)/.

*le sad*