Crocodile Hunter dead

[maycm]

Apparently the media knew all about it before his wife did ...

no kidding - they were probably filming at the time.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

They said he was filming for a show and his 8 yr old daughter was doing the show with him. She wasn't there when it happened though.

[pirtybirdy]

I agree he pushed his luck too much considering he started a family. He really should have thought of his children being fatherless when he does those risky things. He must be one of those people that always need to have the adrenaline thrill, sort of like the base jumpers. Too late to yell at him now, but someone in his family should have been yelling in his ear to tone it down. Maybe they were and it was falling on deaf ears.

[lilycup]

I really can't believe this. I'm a big fan of Steve Irwin and his family, Australia Zoo, and every week day at 5pm I settle down with a cup of tea and watch Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet.

[IRiSHMaFIA]

I really can't believe this. I'm a big fan of Steve Irwin and his family, Australia Zoo, and every week day at 5pm I settle down with a cup of tea and watch Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet.

Apparently the filming he was doing was for Animal Planet. The weather had been poor so he wanted to do some calm underwater shots for the show.

I think they expected a very uneventful day, so I'm sure this was a huge shock to everyone. I'm really glad his daughter wasn't there

[lilycup]

I am glad his daughter or son weren't there.

[mmc768]

It is really sad. But I do have to agree that once he started a family he should have stopped putting himself in harm's way. Now those young children are left without a father and the little boy will most likely not even remember him apart from watching videos of him.

We used to like watching his shows but I'd always say "one of these days we'll be hearing about how he was killed by one of those animals and I won't be at all surprised because of the risks he takes" but then hearing about it today it was still sad and shocking.

[Kezza]

From ABC News Australia...its being seen here as a national tragedy.......strewth!!!


Irwin died 'doing what he loved best'

The documentary producer working with Steve Irwin when he died in far north Queensland today has told of the naturalist and television star's last moments.

Police say the 44-year-old died when was stung through the chest by a stingray while diving off Port Douglas.

John Stainton says the fatal incident was unprovoked.

He says the wildlife expert and a cameraman were snorkelling across Batt Reef in shallow water at about 11:00 am AEST.

Mr Stainton says the cameraman was initially unaware of the fatal sting.

"He [Irwin] just swum over the top of the ray and the barb came up and hit him," he said.

"The cameraman said at the time he didn't even know that it had hit him [Irwin] and then he saw blood in the water."

From this report, it doesn't sound like Irwin was doing anything highly unusual or dangerous. How many thousands of tourists go snorkelling in shallow water each year on their holiday? I've been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to snorkel in Queensland myself.

Calm water, and an unprovoked attack: Sounds like more of a case of "wrong place, wrong time" than intentionally putting himself in harm's way.

Just my 2p.

[lilycup]

From ABC News Australia...its being seen here as a national tragedy.......strewth!!!


Irwin died 'doing what he loved best'

The documentary producer working with Steve Irwin when he died in far north Queensland today has told of the naturalist and television star's last moments.

Police say the 44-year-old died when was stung through the chest by a stingray while diving off Port Douglas.

John Stainton says the fatal incident was unprovoked.

He says the wildlife expert and a cameraman were snorkelling across Batt Reef in shallow water at about 11:00 am AEST.

Mr Stainton says the cameraman was initially unaware of the fatal sting.

"He [Irwin] just swum over the top of the ray and the barb came up and hit him," he said.

"The cameraman said at the time he didn't even know that it had hit him [Irwin] and then he saw blood in the water."

From this report, it doesn't sound like Irwin was doing anything highly unusual or dangerous. How many thousands of tourists go snorkelling in shallow water each year on their holiday? I've been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to snorkel in Queensland myself.

Calm water, and an unprovoked attack: Sounds like more of a case of "wrong place, wrong time" than intentionally putting himself in harm's way.

Just my 2p.

I couldn't agree with you more. I hate how people, even on the news, are saying "Well, once he had children he should have calmed down a bit and not put himself in the firing line so much."

[pirtybirdy]

On the news they kept showing the time he had the baby Bob dangling with him while he fed the croc. To me, this guy was much more than that short "news clip". I thought it was a stupid thing to do, but I know in his heart he felt the baby was safe. He was a good hearted man. I really felt that about this guy. He loved animals. It gave him a buzz.

[faceless]

I couldn't agree with you more. I hate how people, even on the news, are saying "Well, once he had children he should have calmed down a bit and not put himself in the firing line so much."

But it's just common sense - it's absolutely selfish and arseholish not to just settle down. Would you rather have a dead dad or a boring one?

[lilycup]

I couldn't agree with you more. I hate how people, even on the news, are saying "Well, once he had children he should have calmed down a bit and not put himself in the firing line so much."

But it's just common sense - it's absolutely selfish and arseholish not to just settle down. Would you rather have a dead dad or a boring one?

So do you say that to all the men in the army, and to all the mums in the army too?

[faceless]

I couldn't agree with you more. I hate how people, even on the news, are saying "Well, once he had children he should have calmed down a bit and not put himself in the firing line so much."

But it's just common sense - it's absolutely selfish and arseholish not to just settle down. Would you rather have a dead dad or a boring one?

So do you say that to all the men in the army, and to all the mums in the army too?

Well they're doing a job that is technically necessary, same with firemen and police officers.

I'm really not against the guy as I think he's done a huge amount towards conservation, but I genuinely believe he should have put his family first.

[faceless]

IRWIN PULLED STINGRAY BARB FROM CHEST
By Victoria Ward and Mirror.co.uk

VIDEO footage of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's stingray death shows him pulling its venom-coated barb from his chest, it emerged today.

"The tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone," Mr Irwin's manager, John Stainton, said. Mr Stainton, who was with the film crew on the Great Barrier Reef, said the incident happened so fast the underwater cameraman only realised what had happened when he saw that Irwin was bleeding. He added that Irwin had feared dying in the sea. "On land he was agile, quick-thinking, quick-moving and the ocean puts another element there that you have no control over."

Cameraman Ben Cropp, who was also at the scene of the tragic incident, told the Australian newspaper: "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. 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 defensive mode and swung its tail with the spike." The videotape is expected to be used in the inquest into the incident.

Irwin was praised yesterday as "one of the great showmen and conservationists". The tribute from naturalist David Bellamy came after the controversial Australian was killed by a stingray as he filmed an underwater documentary. Dr Bellamy went on: "He mixed damned good science with showbusiness and I don't know anyone else who did that. I'm quite sure all the crocs in Australia are smiling, not crocodile tears, because he made them famous.

Irwin shot to fame with his series Crocodile Hunter, which saw him travelling the world and looking at dangerous reptiles
Steve Irwin in a scene from his film Crocodile Hunter His enthusiasm and risk taking saw him gain fame around the world and eventually his own movie, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course

He always told his crew to keep filming even if he was being eaten by a shark or crocodile and said he would be sad if his death was not on film. Boat owner Peter West said: "The footage shows him swimming in the water, the ray stopped and turned and that was it. Something happened with this animal that made it rear and he was at the wrong position at the wrong time - if it hit him anywhere else we would not be talking about a fatality."

Mr Stainton said: "We were filming a documentary called Ocean's Deadliest. How ironic! It was looking at things that could kill you in the sea." The children's show - featuring tiger sharks, turtles and stingrays - was to be presented by Bindi Sue. Mr Stainton added that nothing ever scared Irwin. He said: "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. Crocs Rule! The world has lost a great wildlife icon, passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet." Prime Minister John Howard said: "Australia has lost a wonderful and colourful son."

Irwin grew up in Queensland where he trapped and removed crocs from populated areas and freed them in his parents' reptile park. At six, he had a 12ft pet python and by nine had jumped on his first croc. He took over the family business in 1991 and renamed it Australia Zoo. Film of his honeymoon - spent trapping crocodiles - formed his first Crocodile Hunter documentary.

He once said: "I've got animals so genetically inside me there's no way I could be anything else." But Irwin was not without controversy. He caused outrage in 2004 when he fed a croc at a zoo while holding his month-old son. He said there was no danger, only perceived danger, and was not charged under safety regulations.

The Crocodile Hunter series ended following widespread criticism. He was also accused of disturbing whales, seals and penguins in Antarctica. British broadcaster Terry Nutkins once blasted: "He's put himself up as the star with animals as extras. It's dreadful television." The controversy was reflected in some of the tributes.

TV survival expert Ray Mears said his death was a "sobering lesson" and proved "some things in nature should be left alone". He added: "He took a lot of risks and TV encouraged him to do that. It's a shame audiences need that to be attracted to wildlife. Dangerous animals, you leave them alone, because nature defends itself - it isn't all hugging animals and going, 'Ahh'. You have to be sensible and keep a safe distance." He went on: "TV has become very gladiatorial and it's not healthy. The voyeurism has a cost and it's that cost Steve Irwin's family are paying today."

TV presenter Chris Packham said Irwin's style was to use animals as a sideshow to his own showmanship. But he added: "His style and approach was not one I would follow but he brought a lot of young people on board."

Wildlife expert Mark O'Shea, who has hosted TV shows about dangerous reptiles, said some university professors might turn their noses up at presenters such as Irwin, but "a lot of people who now want to work with animals may not have considered it before they watched him on TV".

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[HandoGod]

State or private family burial, what do you guys/gals think?

I vote private, and we and the aussie's all mourn this sad loss in our own way.