Crocodile Hunter; Steve Irwin killed by stingray

MSNBC ^ | September 4, 2006 | Associated Press

[libstripper]

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.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

From what I understand, stingrays are pretty tame critters. He must have done something to p*ss it off.

[Registered]

Change your screenname to A**holeTexan.

[pillut48]

God bless his wife and kids. :*( I agree with those who said he took chances, but he *was* an expert in his field and did wonders promoting the love of nature for kids AND adults. He and his wife even made a silly little movie that my 5 y/o and I loved. *sigh* Steve Irwin also made a video with the kids' group, the Wiggles, showing his zoo in Sydney, and with lots of songs about animals and such. One of the main songs is called "Big Steve Irwin--Crocodile Hunter--Action Man!" I can't get that song out of my head right now. :*( :*(

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

So let's tan his hide,since he's died Clyde
And leave it hanging on the shead! In memorial!

[conservative blonde]

As the Bible says, "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword."

For the secular reader, he who lives by taking dangerous chances, dies the same way.

May he RIP.

[dfwgator]

This is one case where the animal decided, "Not in my house."

[vladimir998]

I would have preferred he died in his bed as an old man after getting to see his children grow up.

[najida]

What rotten thing to say.

[NCLaw441]

I am not sure he would have wanted to go the way you describe.

[shield]

Children: first child is a girl, second child is a boy.

[united1000]

Creep = Slang.

a boring, disturbingly eccentric, painfully introverted, or obnoxious person

[najida]

Funny, but in this ultra red county in an ultra red state,
beers are being toasted to a man who DIDN'T live to be a feeble old man, but to a man who lived more in one day that most folks do in a year.

He died too young, but he died doing what he loved.

[Inyo-Mono]

So let's tan his hide,since he's died Clyde And leave it hanging on the shead!

I wonder how many people remember that song!

[SlowBoat407]

I am not sure he would have wanted to go the way you describe.

I'm not sure we can extend this to him, but when one of his favorite crocs died at over 100 years of age, he was crying over body and saying, "She just went to sleep and died. I can't think of a better way to go."

[vladimir998]

I saw an old interview with him from 2004 on television this morning. He said what he loved most in this world was his children. I think he would rather have lived and have seen them grow up.

Honestly, I believe, if God had said to him, "Make a choice: do what you do now and die at 44 leaving your children without a father, or, sell insurance and live to spend 40 or more years with your children" he would be sitting behind a desk right now.

He said he loved his children more than anything in this world. I'll take him at his world.

It's a shame he's dead in any case. He was a decent fellow who clearly had a zest for life.

[ironmaidenPR2717]

Ya mean "Tie me Kangaroo Down"? by Rolf Harris. I loved that song as a kid.(peak Billboard position # 3 in 1963)
"Shoot Through" Steve. We loved you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SPOKEN: There's an old Australian stockman lying, dying. He gets himself up onto one elbow and 'e turns to his mates, who are all gathered around and 'e says:

Watch me wallabies feed, mate
Watch me wallabies feed,
They're a dangerous breed, mate
So watch me wallabies feed
Altogether now!

CHORUS:
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down
Tie me kangaroo down, sport
Tie me kangaroo down

Keep me cockatoo cool, Curl,
Keep me cockatoo cool
Ah, don't go acting the fool, Curl
Just keep me cockatoo cool
Altogether now!

(CHORUS)

'n' take me koala back, Jack
Take me koala back
He lives somewhere out on the track, Mac
So take me koala back
Altogether now!

(CHORUS)

Let me abos go loose, Lew
Let me abos go loose
They're of no further use, Lew
So let me abos go loose
Altogether now!

(CHORUS)

And mind me platypus duck, Bill
Mind me platypus duck
Ah, don't let 'im go running amok, Bill
Just mind me platypus duck
Altogether now!

(CHORUS)

Play your didgeridoo, Blue
Play your didgeridoo
Ah, like, keep playin' 'til I shoot thru, Blue
Play your didgeridoo
Altogether now!

(CHORUS)

Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred
Tan me hide when I'm dead
So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde
And that's it hangin' on the shed!!
Altogether now!

[cricket]

For the secular reader, he who lives by taking dangerous chances, dies the same way.

This was a freak accident. . .he was not taking the stingray 'on' so to speak. . .

But yes, RIP for sure. . .

[RockinRight]

Very sad. I liked the guy.

[Fury]

I respect him, as I believe he knew the risks, acepted them, and tried to reduce risk where possible.

Ultimately, animals/fish/snakes/etc are unpredictable. We have a ~300 pound breeding ram that is very docile in the late spring and early summer. When breeding season starts in the fall, if he sees something that is not an ewe, he assumes it is a challenger, and will try to attack. Very dangerous - you always need an escape route or other plan when working around animals. One minute he is looking at you, the next second, he is lunging at you to try and ram you... I've seen him snap 2x4's like matchsticks to try to get to a ewe in heat...