RIP Crocodile Hunter

[Todd]

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Killed
By Associated Press

1 hour ago

CAIRNS, Australia - 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.

Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchword "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter." First broadcast in Australia in 1992, the program was picked up by the Discovery network, catapulting Irwin to international celebrity.

He rode his image into a feature film, 2002\'s "The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course" and developed the wildlife park that his parents opened, Australia Zoo, into a major tourist attraction.

"The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," Stainton told reporters in Cairns. "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, \'Crocs Rule!\'"

Prime Minister John Howard, who hand-picked Irwin to attend a gala barbecue to honor President Bush when he visited in 2003, said he was "shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin\'s sudden, untimely and freakish death."

"It\'s a huge loss to Australia," Howard told reporters. "He was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people."

Irwin, who made a trademark of hovering dangerously close to untethered crocodiles and leaping on their backs, spoke in rapid-fire bursts with a thick Australian accent and was almost never seen without his uniform of khaki shorts and shirt and heavy boots.

His ebullience was infectious and Australian officials sought him out for photo opportunities and to promote Australia internationally.

Irwin\'s public image was dented, however, in 2004 when he caused an uproar by holding his infant son in one arm while feeding large crocodiles inside a zoo pen. Irwin claimed at the time there was no danger to the child, and authorities declined to charge Irwin with violating safety regulations.

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken against him.

Stingrays have a serrated, toxin-loaded barb, or spine, on the top of their tail. The barb, which can be up to 10 inches long, flexes if a ray is frightened. Stings usually occur to people when they step on or swim too close to a ray and can be excruciatingly painful but are rarely fatal, said University of Queensland marine neuroscientist Shaun Collin.

Collin said he suspected Irwin died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart.

"It was extraordinarily bad luck. It\'s not easy to get spined by a stingray and to be killed by one is very rare," Collin said.

News of Irwin\'s death spread quickly, and tributes flowed from all quarters of society.

At Australia Zoo at Beerwah, south Queensland, floral tributes were dropped at the entrance, where a huge fake crocodile gapes. Drivers honked their horns as they passed.

"Steve, from all God\'s creatures, thank you. Rest in peace," was written on a card with a bouquet of native flowers.

"We\'re all very shocked. I don\'t know what the zoo will do without him. He\'s done so much for us, the environment and it\'s a big loss," said Paula Kelly, a local resident and volunteer at the zoo, after dropping off a wreath at the gate.

Stainton said Irwin\'s American-born wife Terri, from Eugene, Ore., had been informed of his death, and had told their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December.

The couple met when she went on vacation in Australia in 1991 and visited Irwin\'s Australia Zoo; they were married six months later. Sometimes referred to as the "Crocodile Huntress," she costarred on her husband\'s television show and in his 2002 movie.

[Wolfman]

Crikey, that\'s horrible!  Jocelyn\'s gonna be PISSED.  Irwin reminds me of Timothy "Grizzly Man" Treadwell.  They both totally meant well and didn\'t deserve to die, but you mess around with dangerous animals long enough and it\'s bound to happen.  They each had an otherworldly connection with animals and a recklessness that simultaneously made for great film and got them killed.

I think the Breakfast should write a song in Irwin\'s memory, kinda like Beef Barley for Chris Farley.  I think Irwin deserves a song.

[kyndkate]

My dad never watches TV but whenever Crocodile Hunter was on, he\'d be glued to the tube. This is a terrible loss for young and old, but like Wolfman said, he had it coming.

[Marcial]

I am still in shock and disbelief that this has happened... he was seriously my idol.  The whole situation is just horrible... after all of the dangerous animals that he tangled with over the years, it\'s ironic that a freakin\' stingray is what did him in.  The enthusiasm and passion that he had for wildlife and conservation was unmatched by any other naturalist in history.  

RIP, Stevo.  You will be sorely missed.

[davepeck]

he had it coming.

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Mamalakabubadaya]

crikey is right...so sad to see this happen. i was watching an interview with steve irwin+larry king a few nights ago that they re-aired. what a good guy who loved animals. such a shame to see something like this happen to such an amazing person.

[crimsonknuckles]

he had it coming.

that is a horrible statement. it\'s sad when you watch the episode with him and the "o-rang-o-tangs". great guy, loved animals and his work.

[leith]

Oh sheesh before anyone else flames Kate chill out.
Dave did one of the things that is really uncool in my book and that is cutting a quote to fill a need.
Kate was not being mean, she just did not get her point across completely. That\'s one of those internet things.
She was just saying as Wolfman had said he was constantly in danger and when you have a job like that death is a possibility.
If Dave had included her entire quote she also said it was a terrible loss.


Dave:sigh:

[davepeck]

"he had it coming" is not only retardedly harsh, it\'s NOT what wolfman said...

surely there\'s a better way to get the point across...

and come on, this is the same person who wants her cat to croak, so...

[derickw]

he kind of did have something coming his way. i\'m sure like him and everyone else, this wasn\'t the way he was expected to go.

[lele]

:that:

I don\'t even know Kate, but come on....
I that that maybe you should "think" before you "type".

...just my opinion...



btw...I was agreeing with Dave

[sallyalli]

so sad, RIP guy...I bet he did a lot of great things for animals. awww. wife and kids...sad stuff

[Me!]

yeah first thing I thought was that he has two very young children

[FreeSpirit]

I heard on the news this morning that they are thinking of airing his last minutes of film on pay-per-view... uuugggh! :shock2:

[sallyalli]

well he was very commercial...who is to say he would not like that?