Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin dead

News.com.au ^ | September 4, 2006

[lunarbicep]

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 swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary and that's when it occured.

[Mr. Silverback]

It's not a good party unless there's one guy in the kitchen arguing some inane point that is obvious to everyone else but he thinks is really profound :~)

He could have just said what one newspaper columnist said about NASCAR about the time of the Dale earnhardt autopsy phot controversy: "People don't go to the circus to see the lion tamer get eaten, but they pay to see him get in the cage."

[George W. Bush]

I jumped to conclusions on that one, my bad and I apologize.

No apology needed or sought. Really.

That does not excuse your nastiness and pettiness when it comes to Mr. Irwin's death. While it may seem funny to you, a wife has lost her husband, and two children have lost their father.

It isn't funny to me. It's also not convincing when the same sob sisters show up on all these threads complaining that someone who sought danger for their entertainment dies.

And if people didn't buy danger as entertainment, those two kids would probably not be fatherless tonight either. I didn't contribute anything to their grief, unlike many on this thread.

But then, I would never have gone for the entertainment of the Roman Coliseum either. So I guess you can call me a killjoy for all ages. I just refuse to pretend to be surprised or act like some tragedy has occurred from predictable exposure to danger for the sake of fame and money.

Again, this is simply not comparable, as some pretend, to real heroes like those in the military or the space program who do dangerous work with the least danger they can. And without getting on TV or getting rich either. They don't do it for money or fame or to entertain couch potatoes. But do they ever get a fraction of the wailing we see on this thread? Not on your life.

[burzum]

Not remotely the same.

I must be dense because I didn't see your explanation of why astronauts are inspiring and Steve Irwin was not. Feel free to enlighten those of us who are not as smart as you.

[Mr. Silverback]

was once stung by a Man-O-War in the Gulf and it felt like I was sawed in half.

Fotunately, Steve probably only lived for a few minutes, and may have died instantly. The "spring" mechanism on the stinger is so powerful that occassionally a swimmer gets killed when the stinger pierces the femoral artery in the groin, and they bleed out.

[George W. Bush]

He could have just said what one newspaper columnist said about NASCAR about the time of the Dale earnhardt autopsy phot controversy: "People don't go to the circus to see the lion tamer get eaten, but they pay to see him get in the cage."

Try putting the tamer in a cage with a housecat and see how many people pay for tickets.

[Mr. Silverback]

BTW, do you dive or were you just swimming when you met that Man-O-war?

[Mr. Silverback]

Amen. He died doing what he believed in. Freak accidents happen all the time. He could have died in an aircraft accident, or been killed in a car crash like his mom was.

My late father-in-law was a Marine during the Korean war, and spent decades working as a line man for Wisconsin Electric. How'd he meet his end? Most of a wing came off his Piper during a banking turn.

Really, Irwin's death was probably a freak accident, too. People kill themselves stepping on these things while wading at the seashore, for Pete's sake.

[Mr. Silverback]

One group is heroic. The other group are entertainers.

You're in the kitchen making an obvious point at high decibels again. Go home and sleep it off.

[blondee123]

[freepatriot32]

double pinging both my lists for this story sad news indeed i always knew he would be killed by a wild animal though

[jonrick46]

I think Steve Irwin gave a real gift to his fellow man. Many people live very protected lives and rarely encounter danger. Irwin showed us the unpredictable nature of wild animals in situations that would cause most of us to freeze in fear. Irwin's gift was to show how fear can be overcome in the face of danger. He had a bravery that was a model to all of us. It is such bravery that shows the world that kind of leadership that takes the risk required to do the right thing.
Men and women in Iraq have that kind of bravery to do the right thing so that we may be free.

[Rte66]

Me, too - we fished in the back bay of Galveston and off Padre a lot -- I could feel the stinging venom in the water when one was near, so I was lucky and never got stung too bad. Always had Adolph's in the tackle box, of course.

Now, about those sting rays - right now, I'm realizing how lucky I am, as a former scuba diver, to be alive.

[M. Espinola]

This is a horrible shame.

Prayers for Mr Irwin's wife.

[Mr. Silverback]

Yes, and out of respect for his family I hope it never sees the light of day....

From your lips to God's ear.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

They Bite Me,,Roll Rite Over And Start Spittin' ,, ;0)

[Mr. Silverback]

I'm realizing how lucky I am, as a former scuba diver, to be alive.

Did you definitely hang it up for good?

[Rte66]

Ha ha, I was running out of the house one time to go surf fishing with my ex and accidentally grabbed the MSG instead of the Adolph's - that's when we decided to get a permanent shaker of Adolph's for the tackle box.

[FreedomCalls]

Anyone can update a Wikipedia page in seconds. There are thousands of Wikipedia nuts out there who are always looking to be the first to update a page with the latest breaking news. I bet the page at least had his date of death featured in less than one minute from the time it hit the wires.

And it was vandalized immediately afterwards.

[Finny]

I can tell my grandson to be careful, but I know he's going to try his wings ...

Too bad more folks don't have that attitude. I caught snakes and lizards and got bit all the time as a kid -- most of whatever bit me didn't pack all that much punch anyway. I never fooled with poisonous snakes. I learned the hard way not to mess with Alligator lizards. There's a reason God blessed most little kids with the desire to catch critters. It's good for 'em.

[Mr. Silverback]

The word "sick" just isn't enough to describe some people.