Stingray Kills TV's 'Crocodile Hunter'
Steve Irwin Dies From Stab To The Heart By Stingray's Barb
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Remembering the 'Croc Hunter'
Mark Phillips reports on the life and career of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, who was killed in by a stingray at the Great Barrier Reef.
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Expert On Stingray Safety
Only On The Web: Ray Davis, a marine biologist with the Georgia Aquarium and an expert on stingrays, discusses the death of Steve Irwin and how to protect oneself when swimming near stingrays.
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Filmmaker On Irwin's Death
Only On The Web: Mark Phillips interviews Nigel Marven, wildlife filmmaker, about Steve Irwin's death in Queensland, Australia.
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Australian Steve Irwin, famous for his TV show "The Crocodile Hunter," holds his month-old son, Robert, in front of a 13-foot crocodile in an image from television during a croc feeding, Friday Jan. 2, 2004, at his Australian Zoo reptile park in Brisbane, Australia. (AP)
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Visitors lay flowers outside Australia Zoo at Beerwah, home of Steve Irwin who died on the Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland, Australia, Monday, Sept. 4, 2006. (AP)
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A doctor on board Croc One, Steve Irwin's research vessel, was unable to resuscitate Irwin after a stingray pierced his heart Monday. When a rescue helicopter reached the boat, Irwin had already died. (AP)
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"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.
"It's just absolutely unbelievable," Nigel Marven, a well-known wildlife specialist who was a longtime friend of Irwin's, said on The Early Show. "To be killed by a big crocodile or bitten by a snake, you'd have believed it. But a stingray? There's only been three cases in Australia of deaths by stingrays in the last 100 years. Seventeen worldwide. So it's a tremendous freak accident."
Crew members aboard the boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later, Stainton said.
He rode his image into a feature film, 2002's "The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course" and developed the wildlife park that his parents opened, Australia Zoo, into a major tourist attraction.
"The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," Stainton told reporters in Cairns. "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, 'Crocs Rule!"'
Prime Minister John Howard, who hand-picked Irwin to attend a gala barbecue to honor President Bush when he visited in 2003, said he was "shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely and freakish death."
"It's a huge loss to Australia," Howard told reporters. "He was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people."
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 158 CommentsHello;
I used to watch Steve Irwin on television. I got the IMPRESSION that Steve was rather brave and totally UNMINDFULL of his own safety with the animals he handled.
And... He defintely seem to enjoy his prowess and his work.
I thought he got his work pruned down to a science. At least he ACTED like he knew what he was doing....... well, life IS short.
He forgot an old saying from the pages of HISTORY........ "PRUDENCE is the better part of VALOR."
Ralph J. Monasterio
I also find it very hard to beleive. I remember watching this guy on TV and wondering how many times he can cheat death.
Now I figure he cant anymore.
I still hvae to look up what a stingray is--how poisness they can be and whatnot.
If this is a hoak..I would be very disapointed in them.
Also-Im a Christian.
I hope he may have found Christ within those minutes of life befor he past on.
I hope those who do this for entertainment will look at this and learn.
Its dangerous.
Love For All
Katelynn
I'm shocked that he was mortal. God Bless his wife and children. Thanks for the great, wild ride. You have left us much video, which in it's own way make you live forever. Rest well, friend.
What ever happened to 'if you can't say anything nice, shut the heck up'? Have a little respect for the family and friends who mourn him, please.
Get your facts right, find your soul. I've never felt so disappointed, where is the world heading to.
Justine
You will be missed.
It is a narrow minded person who remembers a person for the one stupid action that he did. Did you stop to think about the true tragedy of his death and what his loss means to his wife and young family. Your comment is a reflection on you and your country and you should be ashamed of yourself....
You don't know his wife, You have no business saying what you said!! You are the ugly one! Your ugly in your heart!!!!!
They really deserve it!
Whatever you say. But Steve Irwin is Steve Irwin. You are NOBODY just mumbling about how great you think you are while trying to hide the fact that nobody cares about you. Get a life.
where does his head?
lemmefind out shes preobably a les
Steve Irwim got owned. owned. owned.
I didn't know you were still here! I thought you were already on a way to your mama's house crying. Oh, wait. I forgot. You DO live with your mama!
As a born and bread Aussie growing up with Steve Irwin as a childhood icon the news of his death had put me in a state of nothing other than shock. This devastation has already greatly effected people right across our country, then to read such a heartless and soul less comment as the one Posted by steveisdead at 01:40 AM : Sep 04, 2006 has cut quiet deeply to a 17 year olds heart. The fact is Steve Irwin was a great man, great father, husband and icon for Australia. The work he did for our country and the conservation of our wild life will never be forgotten. To the heartless people out there who saw Steve to be nothing more than a f'n Idiot you should really take the time to see how big his heart really way. You should never wish death upon a person no matter how cruel they are, especially when they are far from it.
Get your facts right, find your soul. I've never felt so disappointed, where is the world heading to.
Steve Irwin has left behind a legacy, his passion for animals was beyond knowing, and anyone who hasnt worked with animals can have no idea of the dificulties involved. in short, i wish i could have met steve irwin, more than i can possibly say. my prayers go out to his family and friends as they mourn his passing.
and to all the insensitive idiots flaming this forum with garbage, may that same garbage await you when you leave this world.
spanky,,,take my advice and leave this site as i am about to do and let those rednecks fester in their own foul stench.... they don't deserve any further comment.......
You just proved my point exactly. Once again grow up your a joke.
Having said that, Steve Irwin was truly an adventurous man who enjoyed his life, and the most important thing is his last moments were spent doing what he loves. That is truly the best way to go.
R.I.P.
>too the woman who claimed to be a christian.. what sort of
> christian says she will be dissappointed if his death is a hoax...
I think you misunderstood Kate-Lynn's comment. I took it as she would be disappoint in a person who would perpetrate such a hoax, not that she would be disappointed if the report was a hoax. Can anyone even imagine what such a hoax would do to "the diver's" family??
Even this report posted here seems to be conjecture as both the paramedics and the treating hospital have refused to release the name until the family is notified and only refer to the victim as "the diver". And neither CBS nor AP give a source in the report that "the diver" is actually Steve Irwin. So at this point, we all need to be patient and wait for an OFFICIAL report to be released after "the diver's" family has been notified.
Regardless of whether "the diver" is Steve Irwin or not, this is a sad event, and we should all give our deepest and most sincere sympathies for such a tragic loss.
GBS
I feel terrible for his animals. He was doing some pretty amazing things. I hope his family and co-workers choose to continue with his projects.
The animals have lost a good human.
LOL Debmo312
Ican handle some petty brainwashing.
As I learnt more about the man, I learnt to respect and even love him. The way he worked with children and even appeared on the Wiggles and donated his time and money (his incredible fortune earnt from American money)to conserving the environment and in particular the protection of the habitat of animals world wide.
He is responsible for the saving of many species, he was their superman, not ours, innocent animals who are hunted for enjoyment and have no defence. Steve Irwin was that.
I feel a huge sense of loss, as this man hase become an icon here in our Country and before any of you think it was al an act, it wasn;t he was so passionate, and passion should never be slashed by those who envy success in another.
I wish to pass my condolences to his wife and his very young children, who will now grow up without their adoring father.
Rest in peace Steve Irwin and watch over our wildlife from your new lofty position in the universe.
Shane Driscoll
Melbourne, Australia
Entertainer, Teacher, Husband, Son, Father, Friend... the man wore many hats and wore them all well!
Sadly those who speak ill of this man could never stand tall enough to have looked him straight in the eye!
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