Damn! I liked that guy!
He leaves his wife and two small kids behind. I really feel sorry for them.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... index.html
SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Steve Irwin, the Australian TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung in a marine accident off Australia's north coast.
Australian media reports say Irwin was diving in waters off Port Douglas, north of Cairns, when the incident happened on Monday morning.
Irwin was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to Cairns police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time.
Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality Monday morning off Port Douglas, according to Australian media.
Queensland Police Services also confirmed Irwin's death and said his family had been notified. Irwin, 44, was director of the Australian Zoo in Queensland.
He is survived by his American-born wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue, born 1998, and Robert (Bob), born December 2003.
Irwin became a popular figure on Australian and international television through Irwin's close handling of wildlife, most notably the capture and relocation of crocodiles.
Irwin's enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a global following. He was known for his exuberance and use of the catchphrase "Crikey!"
But his image suffered a setback in January 2004 when he held his then one-month-old baby Bob while feeding a crocodile at his Australian zoo.
In a statement released to Australian media, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed his sorrow and said that he was fond of Irwin and was very appreciative of all the work he had done in promoting Australia overseas.
In 2003, Irwin spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.'s Australian Story television program about how he was perceived in his home country.
"When I see what's happened all over the world, they're looking at me as this very popular, wildlife warrior Australian bloke," he said, the ABC reported.
"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing. "You know, there's this... they kind of cringe, you know, 'cause I'm coming out with 'Crikey' and 'Look at this beauty'."
Steve Irwin done in by a ray!
Steve Irwin done in by a ray!
- DD
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
-
Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Holy crap! A Stingray? That's crazy. How sad.
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
yes I knew that much but i just had no idea it could be leathealdiver-dad wrote:Yeah - the ray's stinger is a defensive weapon.
Pure speculation: Steve probably was getting close & showing the stinger to the camera when the ray got spooked and lashed out.
A tragedy.
this cought me by suprise in more ways then one
Sparky
A Smart Man
Learns from his mistakes
A Wise Man
Learns from the mistakes of those that have gone before him
Learns from his mistakes
A Wise Man
Learns from the mistakes of those that have gone before him
I know what you mean - I didn't think they could kill either, but I'm no expert - it must have caught him just right / a fluke chance bad hit.sparky wrote: yes I knew that much but i just had no idea it could be leatheal
this cought me by suprise in more ways then one
Sparky
- DD
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
Looked around on the internet.
There was no indication in the news article what kind of ray it was, and there are many species.
From what I quicly glaced over,. the last entry, below, seems to meet the mark ...
From: http://www.units.muohio.edu/dragonfly/hide/15.htmlx
A ray has no bones, and is made mainly of cartilage. The stingray stays close to the sandy ocean floor, where it hovers over it's prey. Because it lingers so close to the sand, it is easy to step on these creatures. The Stingray uses its tail for defense from enemies such as sharks. Sometimes when disturbed, they will lash out with their tail and attempt to sting any creature that may be a threat. Look out! The stingray's tail has spines and the edges resemble a serrated knife. In the past the native peoples of the Pacific region used the stingray's tail to make spears and knives because of it's ability to tear flesh. Dr. Cummins father, an artist, has been known to use the spines from stingray as an artist's pen.
From: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/D ... ngray.html
There is one or more venomous spines located about a third of the way down the tail which are defense weapons against potential threats. It is believed that the venom of this ray is particularly potent due to the avoidance behavior exhibited by other fish nearby. The danger to humans is minimal due to the pelagic habitat of this species. However, caution must be taken when handling this ray to avoid injury from the venomous spines.
From: http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishf ... brevic.htm
The Smooth Stingray is the largest of all Australian stingrays (Family Dasyatidae). It grows to 4.3 m in length, 2 m disc width and a weight of 350 kg.
The Smooth Stingray is not aggressive and is easily observed by divers. It usually has one venomous spine (the sting) halfway along the tail which is capable of inflicting severe or potentially fatal wounds. This species is sometimes observed raising its tail above its back like a scorpion.
There was no indication in the news article what kind of ray it was, and there are many species.
From what I quicly glaced over,. the last entry, below, seems to meet the mark ...
From: http://www.units.muohio.edu/dragonfly/hide/15.htmlx
A ray has no bones, and is made mainly of cartilage. The stingray stays close to the sandy ocean floor, where it hovers over it's prey. Because it lingers so close to the sand, it is easy to step on these creatures. The Stingray uses its tail for defense from enemies such as sharks. Sometimes when disturbed, they will lash out with their tail and attempt to sting any creature that may be a threat. Look out! The stingray's tail has spines and the edges resemble a serrated knife. In the past the native peoples of the Pacific region used the stingray's tail to make spears and knives because of it's ability to tear flesh. Dr. Cummins father, an artist, has been known to use the spines from stingray as an artist's pen.
From: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/D ... ngray.html
There is one or more venomous spines located about a third of the way down the tail which are defense weapons against potential threats. It is believed that the venom of this ray is particularly potent due to the avoidance behavior exhibited by other fish nearby. The danger to humans is minimal due to the pelagic habitat of this species. However, caution must be taken when handling this ray to avoid injury from the venomous spines.
From: http://www.amonline.net.au/FISHES/fishf ... brevic.htm
The Smooth Stingray is the largest of all Australian stingrays (Family Dasyatidae). It grows to 4.3 m in length, 2 m disc width and a weight of 350 kg.
The Smooth Stingray is not aggressive and is easily observed by divers. It usually has one venomous spine (the sting) halfway along the tail which is capable of inflicting severe or potentially fatal wounds. This species is sometimes observed raising its tail above its back like a scorpion.
- DD
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
-
H20doctor
That sucks. You'd figure that the man who was famous for handling croc's and "the most poisionous snake in the world" would have died doing something like that, but what a freak thing to have happened to him!
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
From: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/autho ... irwin.html
Every cent we earn from Crocodile Hunter goes straight back into conservation. Every single cent.
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it.
See, I've always seen Jacques Cousteau as a hero, mate. He's a legend - like my dad, just a legend. And so what he did for conservation in the '60s through the '70s was just phenomenal.
Every cent we earn from Crocodile Hunter goes straight back into conservation. Every single cent.
I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it.
See, I've always seen Jacques Cousteau as a hero, mate. He's a legend - like my dad, just a legend. And so what he did for conservation in the '60s through the '70s was just phenomenal.
- DD
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
-
Joshua Smith
- I've Got Gills
- Posts: 10250
- Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:32 pm
Best info I've found so far on it was on wikipedia:
"Shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time on September 4, 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while diving in Batt Reef (part of the Great Barrier Reef), off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, to be called The Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Irwin decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi was hosting,[25] when, according to his friend and colleague John Stainton, he swam too close to one of the animals. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat, called the Croc I, at the time.
The events were caught on camera, and the footage was handed to the Queensland Police.[26] After reviewing the footage of the incident and speaking to the cameraman who recorded it, marine documentary filmmaker and fisherman Ben Cropp speculated that the stingray "felt threatened because Steve was alongside and there was the cameraman ahead."[26] In such a case, the stingray responds by automatically flexing the serrated barb on its tail up to a maximum of 25 cm (10 in) of length. Cropp said Irwin had accidentally boxed the animal in. "It stopped and twisted and threw up its tail with the spike, and it caught him in the chest. It's a defensive thing. It's like being stabbed with a dirty dagger." The stinging of Irwin by the Bull Ray was "a one-in-a-million thing," Cropp told Time magazine. "I have swum with many rays, and I have only had one do that to me."[27] In this case, the motion struck Irwin's chest and pierced his heart.[26]
Crewmembers aboard his boat called emergency services in the nearest city of Cairns and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Lowe Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later.[28] The barb lodged in his chest and the toxins of the barb caused Irwin to die of cardiac arrest.[29]
Irwin's body was flown to a morgue in Cairns,[30] where stunned family and friends were gathering on Monday night. His wife Terri was informed of her husband's death while on a walking tour in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania, and returned via private plane from Devonport to the Sunshine Coast with their two children.[26]
This was only the third known fatality in Australian history from a stingray attack, and the first since 1945. As of 1996, only seventeen worldwide fatalities had been recorded,[31], and it is believed to be the only fatal attack ever captured on film.[32]"
Sounds pretty much like a freak accident. I don't think anyone who ever saw his show would have been suprised if he'd been killed by a Gaboon Viper or a Crocodile, but a Stingray? Too bad. He seemed like a really decent guy
"Shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time on September 4, 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while diving in Batt Reef (part of the Great Barrier Reef), off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, to be called The Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Irwin decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi was hosting,[25] when, according to his friend and colleague John Stainton, he swam too close to one of the animals. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat, called the Croc I, at the time.
The events were caught on camera, and the footage was handed to the Queensland Police.[26] After reviewing the footage of the incident and speaking to the cameraman who recorded it, marine documentary filmmaker and fisherman Ben Cropp speculated that the stingray "felt threatened because Steve was alongside and there was the cameraman ahead."[26] In such a case, the stingray responds by automatically flexing the serrated barb on its tail up to a maximum of 25 cm (10 in) of length. Cropp said Irwin had accidentally boxed the animal in. "It stopped and twisted and threw up its tail with the spike, and it caught him in the chest. It's a defensive thing. It's like being stabbed with a dirty dagger." The stinging of Irwin by the Bull Ray was "a one-in-a-million thing," Cropp told Time magazine. "I have swum with many rays, and I have only had one do that to me."[27] In this case, the motion struck Irwin's chest and pierced his heart.[26]
Crewmembers aboard his boat called emergency services in the nearest city of Cairns and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Lowe Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later.[28] The barb lodged in his chest and the toxins of the barb caused Irwin to die of cardiac arrest.[29]
Irwin's body was flown to a morgue in Cairns,[30] where stunned family and friends were gathering on Monday night. His wife Terri was informed of her husband's death while on a walking tour in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania, and returned via private plane from Devonport to the Sunshine Coast with their two children.[26]
This was only the third known fatality in Australian history from a stingray attack, and the first since 1945. As of 1996, only seventeen worldwide fatalities had been recorded,[31], and it is believed to be the only fatal attack ever captured on film.[32]"
Sounds pretty much like a freak accident. I don't think anyone who ever saw his show would have been suprised if he'd been killed by a Gaboon Viper or a Crocodile, but a Stingray? Too bad. He seemed like a really decent guy
Maritime Documentation Society
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
"To venture into the terrible loneliness, one must have something greater than greed. Love. One needs love for life, for intrigue, for mystery."
Tragic
Im sure we all knew sooner or later something would punch his ticket. Never in a million years did we expect it would be a stingray. My heart goes out to his family, friends and to all of his fans. This is truly a tragic incident.
A one in a million fluke. Just really bad luck.
I guess if anything good can be said of this, it's that he was doing what he loved - sharing the world of wildlife with others.
It makes me think that you never know when your number will be up, so live your life and do right by others.
Every day is precious.
I guess if anything good can be said of this, it's that he was doing what he loved - sharing the world of wildlife with others.
It makes me think that you never know when your number will be up, so live your life and do right by others.
Every day is precious.
- DD
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain
"Always do right -- this will gratify some and astonish the rest."
-Mark Twain