Irwin death footage 'shocking'

Herald Sun ^ | 5 September 2006 | Dave Donaghy

[Aussie Dasher]

FATALLY injured by a stingray, Steve Irwin pulled its barb out of his chest before losing consciousness, dramatic footage of his last moments reveals.

Friend John Stainton said the footage of the stingray attack which took the life of the Crocodile Hunter on the Great Barrier Reef yesterday was "shocking".

Mr Irwin, 44, died after the stingray barb punctured his chest while snorkelling off Port Douglas, in far north Queensland, yesterday.

A cameraman captured the incident during filming for Irwin's new project with daughter Bindi, eight, that was to debut in the United States next year.

"I did see the footage and it's shocking," Mr Stainton said today in Cairns.

"It's a very hard thing to watch because you're actually witnessing somebody die ... and it's terrible."

Mr Stainton, also a producer and director of Irwin's popular television shows, said the footage showed Mr Irwin pulling the barb out of his chest before losing consciousness.

"It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone.

[CindyDawg]

Yall have given us Clint Anderson too:')

[metmom]

I'm just hoping that it was not one of those *Oh Sh%*!* moments; you know the kind where you start to do something and realize as you're doing it that you're doing the absolutely WRONG thing but not in time to stop it?

Like KingofQue, pointed out, how do you get someone with something that big attached to him to the hospital? They probably didn't have something on hand with which to cut it. Again, I don't think there was much chance either way.

I really hope he didn't suffer much.

[rintense]

What an adorable photo. This must be so hard for his family... Prayers for them are being sent. Bindi almost looks sort of Indonesian/Thai in that picture. Looks like she will certainly carry on her dad's legacy.

[CindyDawg]

I'm just guessing but I would think the fish would break away. It's a defensive move so I can't see a fish staying attached to it and not able to get away.

[DieHard the Hunter]

Condolences from across the ditch, Ozzy mate.
I cried last nite when I heard Steve had been killed, and I don't cry often.

He was the very best Australia had to offer. Which is saying something.

Yahoo Serious, Paul Hogan, Mel Gibson, and yes even Olivia Newton-John: they don't really hold a candle to what Steve was, it's an unfair comparison.

God be with you Steve
And yer wee Family
*DieHard*

[Ignatz]

Steve Irwin Dead? Crikey!
My oldest daughter (14) grew up on Steve. She has many videos of him. Our whole family is saddened.

[teenyelliott]

So sad. I feel so sorry for him, and just terrible for his family.

[metmom]

That makes a lot of sense. It could be he grabbed the barb, as I would expect anyone to naturally do, and it pulled away by itself, which made it look like he pulled it out. I guess we'll never know.

[Rte66]

Well, Will Rogers was only 56 and was still in his prime. It just wasn't this day and age of instant information.

He was our national ambassador of goodwill, had a syndicated newspaper column and radio show and was the top box office draw in the movies at the time; he even hosted the Oscars that year (1935).

I wish he'd lived to be 80-plus, so I could have enjoyed him in person and not just through archives and museums.

[Rte66]

Dr. Baden said that? It takes a while to bleed to death - Irwin was gone in a very few minutes, less than 12. I'd say his heart was torn apart before and after he pulled the spine out.

Baden and others always say in murder cases that it can take 30 minutes or more to bleed out - as in Pamela Vitale's death.

[Frwy]

I saw an interview with a doctor on Fox this afternoon who said that he couldn't have pulled it out. He likely died instantly. Also his friend Stainton said in that same show that he had not seen the film and didn't want to. Now I wonder if this story is putting words in Stainton's mouth or if he did view it later. Larry King will do his whole show Tuesday evening on the scene.

I've watched nothing but all the news and Animal Planet documentaries since I first heard it. It has left me very sad. The world seems to be so quite. I will miss his passion for life in all forms. He was a remarkable man. Prayers go out to Terri, Bindi, little Bob, big Bob and all their friends and 400 employees.

[Rte66]

He was most likely numb, too. Thank goodness. I'm also glad it wasn't a croc. This was the best it could be, if it HAD to be.

[Rte66]

No, it was an 8" piece of the spine, broken off in his puncture wound.

[Slings and Arrows]

It is ironic that he was killed by a relatively harmless/unaggressive creature. Very few die from their stings, just bad luck. I knew he would never get killed by a crock

Jim Fixx (author of The Complete Book of Running) died of a heart attack at 51. Calvin Coolidge's son died as a teenager, from an infected blister he got playing tennis. Sometimes when you shoot life's dice, they come up snake-eyes.

[Rte66]

Lots of reports to compare:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695100/posts
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin dead
News.com.au ^ | September 4, 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695105/posts
Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin dead - Locked Thread
Courier Mail ^ | September 04, 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695133/posts
The Crocodile Hunter
Herald Sun ^ | 4 September 2006 | Matthew Schulz

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695139/posts
Flowers laid in honour of Irwin
news.com.au ^ | 4 September 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695142/posts
Irwin brought joy to millions: PM (John Howard)
news.com.au ^ | 4 September 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695144/posts
Passive stingrays can be deadly
news.com.au ^ | September 04, 2006 05:04pm | Danny Rose and Jane Williams

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695160/posts
Steve Irwin, Croc hunter, dead, killed by stingray
AP Wire ^ | September 4, 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695171/posts
Crocodile Hunter; Steve Irwin killed by stingray
MSNBC ^ | September 4, 2006 | Associated Press

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695174/posts
Witnesses tell of freak death of Steve Irwin
News.com.AU via Drudge ^ | September 4, 2006 | By staff writers and wires

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695216/posts
Crocodile Hunter Irwin: Passionate Showman in the Wild (AP Obit)
Associated Press ^ | Sept 4, 2006 | Marc Lavine

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695281/posts
Croc Hunter's stingray death caught on film
news.com.au ^ | Sept 4, 2006 | Ian Gerard and Tony Koch

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695308/posts
Crocodile hunter was victim of 'voyeuristic wildlife TV'
This is London ^ | 09-04-06 | Staff

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695411/posts
Steve Irwin's freak death filmed
TheAustralian.com ^ | 9/5/06 | Ian Gerard and Tony Koch

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695501/posts
World mourns our adventurer
Herald Sun ^ | 5 September 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695516/posts
Irwin video may be made public
Herald Sun ^ | 5 September 2006

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695524/posts
Irwin death footage 'shocking'
Herald Sun ^ | 5 September 2006 | Dave Donaghy

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695540/posts
Irwin family offered state funeral (Australia Honours the Crocodile Hunter)
The Australian ^ | 9/5/2006 | n/a

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1695557/posts
Statement by marie claire [Bindi & Steve featured in current issue]
marie claire Australia ^

[NinoFan]

There really was no chance for him no matter what he did.

We don't know the details of the story yet, but let's look at three of the possibilities:

1. The barb didn't actually puncture the heart, but came in near it. He leaves the barb in. The strong toxin quickly spreads to the myocardium causing heart muscle to become extremely irritable and eventually nectrotic. What happens? He goes into v-fib and dies of cardiac arrest.

2. The barb punctures some portion of his heart. Even before the toxin has a chance to start killing off heart muscle, cardiac tamponade sets in, followed by any number of killers (like PEA), and he dies.

3. He pulls the barb back out, loses tons of blood, goes into shock, and dies.

Bottom line: You don't want to be stung by a stingray in the chest. Depending on how fast a lethal rhythm was triggered, he may have had mere seconds to ponder his death.

[Mama_Bear]

My condolences to his family and friends, and to the people of Australia. Steve Irwin seemed to truly love all God's creatures. He won't soon be replaced.

May he rest in peace.

[Lib-Lickers 2]

it's like I lost my brother I never had

sucks!

way to go Steve!!!!!!!!

[mitch5501]

I've been away a coupla days so I'm late getting to this thread.

Oh man is this ever sad.

I was sat at a set of traffic lights in Adelaide when the story broke and I looked around at the folks in the other cars.I reckon we all had the same radio station on going by the looks on their faces.

Then this morning they played a tribute to Steve and my son and I sat there stony silent along with heaps of other folk.No-one uttered a single word.What can you say...death sucks.

God bless you Steve...and prayers for your family.

[Colorado Doug]

Don't be sorry. It's BIG here too. A bit reckless but he seemed like a great guy. He will be missed by many.