Posted on 09/03/2006 9:29:57 PM PDT by lunarbicep
Edited on 09/04/2006 5:53:46 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
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.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
After getting about 60 mosquito bites within an hour and the majority on my face, it was 5 years until another bite bothered me. Immune I was!!
That is sad news, couldn't believe it when I heard it today, I think it's ironic - he was killed by a creature he wasn't doing daredevil stunts with!!
He was an adventurer, that was simply his personality, and he would have still been trapping crocs if he had never become famous and had a big crew to help him out.
But foremost he was a conservationist. His personality helped to educate and bring enjoyment to millions, to say nothing of helping to save wildlife and wildlife habitats in Australia.
I can't help but think that some of the rude and wildly inappropriate comments on this thread given their timing are from people who have not done much with their lives, and thus resent, consciously or not, a man who actually did what he loved and made a difference instead of hiding in a cabin in the woods.
And yes, poster misnamed "GWB", I mean YOU. And that chick who was stupid enough to chime in on your side.
You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. I am sure that when you went to your father's wake you were very vocal about how he was stupid to smoke, or whatever?
No? You weren't?
Then STFU and pay some respect to a SIGNIFICANT man who just died tragically and is being mourned by millions.
How very sad for his family. It is a loss for the world, as well, as he inspired many with his love of nature, I am sure.
RIP, Crocodile Man.
Well stated.
Post of the day. Thank you, ByDesign, for saying it so well.
FOOTAGE of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin being fatally attacked by a stingray on the Great Barrier Reef has been handed to Queensland police as fans worldwide come to grips with the "freak" death.
Irwin, 44, was killed almost instantly when the stingray stabbed him in the heart with its poisonous 20cm barb as he snorkelled off Port Douglas, in north Queensland, yesterday morning. His American-born wife, Terri, was trekking in Tasmania's Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park when the news broke of her husband's death and was last night being raced back to Queensland with her two children Bindi, 8, and Bob, 2. "The footage shows him swimming in the water, the ray stopped and turned and that was it," said boatowner Peter West, who viewed the footage afterwards. "There was no blood in the water, it was not that obvious ... something happened with this animal that made it rear and he was at the wrong position at the wrong time and if it hit him anywhere else we would not be talking about a fatality."
*SNIP*
Footage of the attack shows Irwin swimming above a 2.5m stingray before it turns on him and sends a poisonous barb through his heart.
Irwin was pulled from the water by a cameraman and a crewman, put on an inflatable tender and taken to a support boat about 500m away.
Crewmembers say he was barely conscious in the minutes after the sting and died as his production team rushed him to his vessel, Croc One, and to a nearby island for emergency treatment.
A charter dive boat crew desperately tried to revive him on the beach, but were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards by Queensland Rescue Service officers, who had flown to the area by helicopter.
Irwin's body was last night flown to Cairns for a post-mortem examination as police seized all available evidence and interviewed witnesses in order to prepare a report for the Coroner.
Producer, director and life-long friend John Stainton yesterday said Irwin did not provoke the stingray and was simply swimming above it when he was attacked.
"He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray barb went up and into his chest and into his heart," Stainton said.
"It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I hope he felt no pain." One of Irwin's contemporaries, internationally known cameraman and spearfisherman Ben Cropp, was in his own boat off Port Douglas when Irwin was killed.
"I have just spoken to a cameraman friend who was there and has seen the footage," Mr Cropp told The Australian last night.
"He was up in the shallow water, probably 1.5m to 2m deep, following a bull ray which was about a metre across the body - probably weighing about 100kg, and it had quite a large spine.
*SNIP*
Mr Cropp said the stingray was spooked and went into defensive mood.
"It 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.
"Steve unfortunately was in a bad position and copped it.
"I have had that happen to me, and I can visualise it - when a ray goes into defensive, you get out of the way.
"Steve was so close he could not get away, so if you can imagine it - being right beside the ray and it swinging its spine upwards from underneath Steve - and it hit him.
"I have seen that sort of reaction with rays - with their tail breaking the water, such is the force."
*SNIP*
Irwin had decided yesterday morning to shoot a segment of film on stingrays for a new television program that will be hosted by his daughter, Bindi.
Surf Lifesavers national marine stinger adviser Lisa-Ann Gershwin said there had only been 17 fatal stingray attacks worldwide.
"I think it's just an extraordinary freak accident that has happened to his heart," she said.
"A lot of people will be afraid by this, but they need to keep in mind that this was a freak accident, it was a terrible tragedy but it is not common."
Dr Gershwin said stingray stings to the legs or arms were common and, while painful, were not normally considered dangerous. She said there were many different types of stingrays, with barbs on their tails up to 30cm long, and they poisoned victims with a range of toxins.
Mr West said the barb was like a "very rough knife" and while fatal stingray stings had been known to occur, filming and swimming alongside the animal was commonplace among marine filmmakers.
Mr Cropp said he was told that the strike was "close to the heart and Steve had a cardiac arrest".
"At first they treated him as being wounded, but he didn't survive unfortunately," he said. "The second boat in attendance raced in to give assistance and they radioed for help.
Thanks for the information. I really liked Steve Irwin and hope God comforts his family most of all.
Terrible tragedy. Prayers for his family.
The VIDEO of the incident was turned over to police authorities.
"The footage shows him swimming in the water, the ray stopped and turned and that was it," said boatowner Peter West, who viewed the footage afterwards.
He was interviewed once and said that he was a conservative... and was referring to the American definition as I recall.
Excellent post!
Thank you....
After those few episodes, I concluded that there was usually just too much going on for the benefit of the cameras and the vicarious thrill-seekers in the audience, and went on with other priorities like work, my wife, freeping, etc. I'm aware this isn't a popular position, especially with the poor guy's funeral still pending, but it is my position.
Amazingingly it wasn't a croc.
I'm speechless. What a way to go!
I can only think of the Scripture: "Ye know not the moment or the hour".
I'm a california diver. Hope to see a feeper dive boat some day?
He was a big supporter of PM Howard and met President Bush in 2003 at a cook-out at the PM's place...
Prayers to the Irwin Family.
He will be missed! He died doing what he loved to do!
I am sure he is in Crocodile Heaven. He was truly and inspiration to all who love and respect wildlife.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.