Crocodile Hunter Killed By Stingray

John Campea 52 Comments

Crocodile-Hunter-DiesSteve Irwin, the hilarious Crocodile Hunter and star of his own movie, was killed today by a Stingray. The folks at Yahoo news give us this:

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 barb on their tails, his friend and colleague John Stainton said.

“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 at the time.

This is a real tragedy. But let’s be honest… we all knew that at some point this was going to happen. The guy just always took such INSANE risks… I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner.

Still… the man loved wildlife, he loved nature, and singlehandedly did more for wildlife than almost anyone else in the world. He raised peoples attention to the issues of nature… and also entertained the hell out of us. Yeah his movie sucked ass… but deep down we all admired this guy. Sad day.

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52 thoughts on “Crocodile Hunter Killed By Stingray”

  1. The untimely passing of Steve Irwin is a great tragedy. This has effected my family more than I could have imagined; he has been a great influence on myself and my two boys. The world will never be the same. In the past, I have dealt with this type of emotional pain through music. Being a song writer and composer, I have written musical compositions and songs to honour friends, family, and fallen heroes to ease the pain and commemorate the contributions they’ve made in life. Steve falls under the obvious catagory of “HERO.” Please accept and share with the world this musical tribute in honour of the great “CROCODILE HUNTER” Steve Irwin.. WE LOVE YOU STEVE!!

    Sincerely:
    David James

    P.S. – You can visit me at: http;//www.davidjamesmusic.net
    and download the musical tribute “THE MIGHTY STEVE”

  3. I am doing a project on dangerous animal. Research shows that more people die from falling coconuts then from stingray attacks. his death shocked me and made me very sad

  4. i think that the death of steve is so kind weird because it is very unlikely for people to dei from a sting ray but i have hurd that the camra man scared it so it put a hole through his heart!!!
    alyssa neal R.I.P

  5. I loved Steve Irwin. He truly was one of the most wonderful people to
    ever be put on this planet. He is with with his mum now, which will
    hopefully bring a little comfort to his grieving family.
    He will always be loved and cherished. I truly loved him alot
    My heart goes out to his family

  6. I’m so very saddened at all the work Steve has tried to do to show people what animals are really about only to have his tragic but accidental death talked about as just an inevitable end to a crazy person’s life.

    Some people unfortunatetly will never get it though.

  10. WHEN TRADGEDY HITS A HOUSEHOLD SUCH AS THIS DEMEANOR NO WORDS CAN HELP THE WIFE, CHILDREN AND FAMILY.

    LETS JUST BOW OUR HEADS IN SILENCE AND ASK THE LORD TO INTERVENE FOR PEACE UNTO STEVE AND HIS FAMILY…

    WE LOVED YOU STEVE AND WE WILL MISS YOU TREMENDOUSLY, AND WE REALLY
    THOUGHT YOUR COURAGE AND BRAVERY WAS AMAZINGLY AWESOME!

  11. Steve Irwin was, is and always shall remain a legend.
    He is a great ambassador to the animal kingdom and Australia.

    We are all on limited time here. Do not forget that.

    At any moment we could go.

    Cherish every moment and everyone you have in your life.

    Goodbye for now Steve Irwin (Crocodile Hunter)

  14. in memory of steve irwi…yes im from florida kissimme and i was mostly just changing through channels and every time i see this croc hunter show i left it on just to learn about aligators almosy every day i learn somethin new..well now just wanted to say rest in peace and i hope no one ever try to take over your show they better not because steve will always be #1…………….AND TO THE FAMILY JUST TO TELL YOU UMM DONT TREALLY STRESS I KNOW ITS GOING TO BE HARD FOR A LONG TIME TO FORGET BUT JUST THINK THIS WAY HE WAS A GO0D MAN AND WAS ALWAYS THERE AND HAPPIEST DAD AND HUSBAND AND IT WAS JUST HIS TIME TO PAST…….PSS TO WIFE AND KIDS TAKE IT EASY AND PRAY AND GOD IS ALWAYS WITH YOU ….LOVEING MEMORY STEVE IRWIN…..

  19. Steve Irwin, conservationist, wildlife expert and videographer, will be dearly missed by all naturalists and conservationists! My heart goes out to Terri and her children, Bob and Bindi.

    In Memorium “The Crocodile Hunter Preserve & Protect Wildlife” and
    “The Crocodile Hunter Conserve Natures Wonders!” are created by master graphic artist, designer and naturalist, Terry Lynch. May the valuable work Steve Irwin participated in continue! See http://www.cafepress.com/bytelandart/1801793

    Steve Irwin died Sept. 1, 2006 when he was stung by a bull stingray while filming at Batt Reef off the northeast coast of Queensland, Australia.

    This special tribute of a bull stingray drifts over a heavenly light in reminder that Steve Irwin died doing what he loved and that it would be his dying wish to continue to conserve, preserve and protect nature and wildlife.

  20. His passing is indeed a very sad thing. One thing you can say is he kept you on the edge of your seat. He was like a member of our family. We watch him faithfully. I was always scared for him and would scream when he got to close to the animals. But we all did learn alot from him. His Family was much loved by him and in no way would he have risked his sons life. He might have acted a nut but he was alot smarter than that. My most heart felt love goes out to Terri and kids and all of the Family. So sorry, Terri.

  23. I’ve always watched Steve’s show, and I started crying when I heard what happened. But honestly, I think that if anyone would of asked Steve how he wanted to die, he would of told them he would want to die doing what he loved. And he did. He was great, brave man and many people will always remember him.

  24. I am African-American. I thought that I would state that before I made this statement about Steve Irwin. I thought that he was a wonderful soul and a very brave man. I would have never thought that his demise would come from anything other than a “Croc”.
    African-Americans, in general, are not to found of reptiles or anything of that nature. However, after watching Steve, Terry, his father, and Sui, I realize that the creatures, that I most fear belong on this earth as much as I do. He helped me to care about snakes, and other reptiles and allowed me to acknowledge that man still has domain over all creatures.
    I will, forever, be indebted to him and all of those kind people at the Australia Zoo for their enlightenment and education.
    Steve had to be one of the most wonderful people that I have ever had the privilege of watching and it seems that I am going to miss a dear friend.
    I will miss you Steve.

  26. i feel bad for his family. his daughter and son are probably coing to be terrifed of the ocean and animals. yet. we all new something along this line was going to happen. it’s to bad.

    lizzielizard

  28. It is a sad day when someone who loves animals and nature so much passes. If we all would love so unselfishly without casting judgement this world would shine brighter. God bless Steve and his family. And I thank you all for making our world brighter.

    WISCONSIN JUGGALO

  29. I have always loved watching this guy in action, and most times wishing I had the guts to go out and do what he did. Sure some of the things he did were more dangerous than they had to be, but I will always believe he was trying to show us what behavior to expect from these guys if we got too close, and many times he wouold even say things about “This is how they behave when they feel threatened” and he would go about showing us…. He was a teacher, and a lover of wildlife at its wildest. I remember something he once said…. I am trying to show society how important it is for us to understand how to respect and co-exist with our environment and the different living creatures therein. He also said that he was doing what he was doing for his children, and that the biggest gift his son could give him would be to grow up and follow in his fathers footsteps. This is a man who truly cared, and wanted to share with those of us who wouold otherwise never have a chance to see these things… Because of his efforst, there is a great deal more that I now know about the different wildlife creatures roaming the world we live in, and how they live, and even more important how they protect themselves… For those of you who comment about if you play with fire… Thats a phrase people use when they really wanna say “I wish I had the guts to challenge myself like that”… My hat is off to you Steve for all you accomplished in your brief time with us, and my heart goes out to your family. This is much more than a tragic loss, and I can only believe that Steve is in a better place watching over his family, and also watching over other wildlife adventurists such as himself. GOD bless you Steve Irwin

  30. Very sad news and I feel for his family, most so those two little kids. I’ve been watching his show since it premiered and my daughter and I used to watch his show during dinner when my wife worked late. She would always ask me “can we watch the Hunter daddy?”.

    The man gave his life for his work and most of us could never have the compassion he had for his work with conservation. He definitely took his risks, but was still a professional who knew what he was doing — just a freak thing that happened with the ray piercing his heart like it did. God bless you Steve and thanks for all the great moments that you provided us all.

  31. Rest in peace, Steve. Thank you for the education and entertainment you provided over the years. And thanks for showing a true passion for wildlife conservation.

    Posthumous comments about Steve’s death being predictable are ridiculous and arrogant. While he may have faced occupational hazards due to his proximity to dangerous wildlife, this was a freakish accident even by those standards.

  33. i just have to say this is a sad day in australia cause it is all over the news he was popular everywhere usa, uk, and australia he did some crazy stuff but he was a proffesinal and he will be missed – r.i.p rest in peace steve now you can wrestle dead crocs in heaven.

  34. I have to say that Steve Irwin was one of the few celebs that I would have been willing to buy a beer for…make that a Fosters.

    My rottweiler died a year ago, at least now he has someone to hang out with until we meet up again.

  38. It’s always sad to see/hear of someone’s passing. Although at times, it did seem he was reckless, it still doesn’t mean he was deserving of a shot to the heart and tragic death. RIP Mr. Irwin.

  39. Yes, it is a sad day. And there’s nothing wrong with saying Collision Course was a bad film. It was. (Although they did use his backyard for most of the production value) Yet, while some may think of him as insane for getting near frightened or agressive snakes and crocs, he mixed humor with education.

    As for John’s comment, “But let’s be honest… we all knew that at some point this was going to happen” ….I’ll be honest. You might expect a shark attack. You might expect a croc to take off from the wrist on down. You don’t expect a stingray to sting you in the chest. But I don’t think John was being too far off. I mean, y’know, feeding the Dolphins at Sea World so they do tricks is one thing; feeding the crocs with one hand while holding your kid in the other is something else.

    Also, John is not in the minority on this. Also from Yahoo! news regarding Irwin’s death:

    “He clearly took a lot of risks and television encouraged him to do that,” said Ray Mears, a Briton whose television programs have included “Extreme Survival.”

    “It’s a shame that television audiences need that to be attracted to wildlife,” Mears said. “Dangerous animals, you leave them alone because they will defend themselves. Nature defends itself, it isn’t all about hugging animals and going ‘ahh.'”

    Also for the ‘accident’ part:

    Stingrays have a serrated, toxin-loaded barb, or spine, on the top of their tail. The barb, which can be up to 10 inches long, flexes if a ray is frightened. Stings usually occur to people when they step on or swim too close to a ray and can be excruciatingly painful but are rarely fatal, said University of Queensland marine neuroscientist Shaun Collin.

    Collin said he suspected Irwin died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart.

    “It was extraordinarily bad luck. It’s not easy to get spined by a stingray and to be killed by one is very rare,” Collin said.

    ****

    Granted, Irwin was no “Grizzly Man”, and to my knowlegde he never hand fed sharks (the jokers who do should never ask why there is an increase in shark attacks) but as professional as Irwin was, if he didn’t use caution because he went by statistics, well then it was a situation that could have been avoided.

    Would it have happened ‘sooner or later’? I’m not really sold on that. I mean, the late great doc filmmaker and explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau swam with the sharks, and he passed on without being fatally attacked.

    Sometimes documentarians and those who study varied sciences do risk their lives- but only to help educate the public, as well as show saftey tips. [even if to some the best safety tip is to get out of Dodge] But it is always the small things that get overlooked. It is the small things that will get you.

    Irwin’s legacy won’t be forgotten; he has inspired many and will continue to do so.

    My thoughts go out to his wife and kids.

  40. The weirdest part is that he was killed by a stingray. He is only the second person in the last 100 years to have been killed by a stingray in Australia.

  41. You play with fire and you’re gunna get burned. I mean seriously he was filming a segment called Ocean’s Deadliest. Getting killed by a stingray is very uncommon, but so is getting struck by lightning. It’s all statistical…

  42. Very sad news. I loved his shows. I was watching the news a while ago and some guy who also studied wildlife said the chances of being killed by a stingray like that is a million to one. I respect the guy for his love for wildlife and for sening his messages trough entertainment. P.I.P Steve.

  43. I get what you were saying I was just speaking as someone who has seen what goes on behind the scenes, it comes across all dangerous and out there but in reality he worked on safety more then anything else in his show which was why he could do allot of what he did, if it was to dangerous he would walk away and would not do it especially after he had his first kid.
    The sadly mistaken comment wasn’t for you but for allot of people who I have heard today saying that he kinda deserved it for doing things so nuts, sorry if you thought it was directed at you mate.

    smilingyoda

  44. Crikey! I heard about this at 2:00am here in Ontario…I loved watching his shows – wheather it was just to laugh my ass off at some of his crazy antics or just to learn about wildlife. Its a sad, sad day. Who would have thought that he would have been killed by something that, for the most part, is considered harmless? He is only the 3rd person in the history of Australia to die by Stingray attack. The only good thing is that he was killed instantly. At least he didn’t feel any pain – unlike he would have if a croc got him. My condolences go out to Terri, Bindi, Bob Jr, Bob Sr, Wes and the staff at Australia Zoo.

  45. I can agree with both smilingyoda and John; it could be dangerous work, no matter how many precautions (and I’ve read often how diligent Steve was in his safety efforts and, of course, his understanding of animals), but sometimes accidents happen. This was definitely a freak accident, but more likely to happen to Steve than the vast majority of us. God bless him for his short time on the planet and all he did. i’m the same age (44) and seems like I raised my kids on his shows. Sounds trite, I know but let’s all take some inspiration to find our passions and live for them while we still have some time. Crikey!!

  46. Hey Smiling Yoda…

    Ummm… i see where you’re coming from… but the guy just died. How can you call me “sadly mistaken”. I think the point was proved before i ever raised it.

    Other than that… I agree with you, this is a sad sad day.

  47. Anyone who thinks that this accident was just a matter of time is sadly mistaken, Steve might have come across very crazy in his antics but he was a professional and took every precaution behind the scenes to make sure the danger was limited, what you see on his shows was great showmanship, he just new how to market what he was selling better then anyone else, he gave the public what they wanted and we all ate it up and could not get enough of it.
    Speaking as an Australian this is truly a sad day, its one of those times I had to read the article twice, I just didn’t want to believe it.
    There will never be another Steve Irwin.

    smilingyoda

  49. No, I heard they informed her before the news went public. She was on a trek in Africa, but they called and told her, and she went home to her kids. If she’d found out last that her husband was dead, that would would have been really fucked up.

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