Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin killed

[Terliso]

What a sad loss...


BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44.

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was diving near Low Isles Reef near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of the state capital of Brisbane.

Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef but refused to say who the victim was until relatives had been notified.

A rescue helicopter was sent from the nearby city of Cairns, and paramedics from it confirmed the diver's death.

"The probable cause of death is stingray strike to the chest," Hamil said.

Staff at Australia Zoo, Irwin's zoo in southern Queensland, said they had heard the reports but could not comment.

Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter," which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on the Discovery channel.

He rode his image into a feature film, and developed the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction.

Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at the Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his 1-year-old son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the 13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other.

Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating safety regulations.

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken.

Irwin was also seen as a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections.

Irwin told the Australian television program "A Current Affair" that "killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me."

He is survived by his American wife Terri, from Oregon, and their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December.

[gmarc66]

I was so sad to hear that he was killed today, he definitely was a unique character and always amusing. What a loss.

You're going to be missed Steve, my respects.

julia

[Ramsburg]

I'm really sad too... I was a huge fan of Steve 

my respects to him.

heres a tribute video i just found:

http://www.youtube.com/v/QgsE9SQ1iCA

[fous]

I was also really disappointed to hear the news over the weekend.

Steve was the man and his show was such great entertainment.

RIP croc hunter 

[rumorman2006]

we all knew this guy had soem balls, hopefully trhe media doesnt tryo to get a copy of his death and play it, the guy gave his all to the animal kingdom

[gsx739]

much love to the crocodile hunter...rip steve irwin

[Terliso]

Steve Irwin video may never been seen by public

Steve Irwin's death Monday came as a shock to many people and since then the world has mourned his loss. He died after a stingray barb punctured his chest during the filming of an underwater documentary off Australia's Queensland coast.

To some, his death came as no surprise given his risky lifestyle and how he seemed to thrive off bringing some of the world's most dangerous animals to people's homes worldwide via television.

Irwin was once questioned about what should happen if he was in a life-threatening situation while filming. Irwin told his camera crew they should continue filming "even if I am eaten by a shark or croc." He said he would be sad if no one got it on tape.

Monday's incident was caught on tape. John Stainton, Irwin's producer and friend, viewed the tape on Irwin's death before handing it over to police. "It's a very hard thing to watch because you're actually witnessing somebody die and it's terrible," Stainton said. He continued to say that the tape "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. That was it - the cameraman had to shut down."

It now seems increasingly unlikely footage of the tragic event will ever reach the public's eyes. Stainton told CNN that the tape is presently in police custody and should be destroyed.

"It should be destroyed," Stainton said. "When that (tape) is finally released it will never see the light of day, ever.

"I actually saw it and I don't want to see it again," he said.

Arguably, Steve Irwin's contribution to world was to raise public awareness to many of the world's animals and the struggles they face. He achieved this through sometimes shocking visual media being delivered via television to millions of homes on a weekly basis. Now it seems the final shocking and tragic moments of his life may never be seen.