Crocodile Hunter's Steve Irwin dies at 44

On 4 September 2006, shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (01:00 UTC), Irwin was killed by a stingray barb while filming an underwater documentary in the Great Barrier Reef off the Low Isles near Port Douglas, north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

News reports say he was stung either through his heart or through the left side of his chest by a stingray, causing a fatal wound. After he was stung, his crew called for medical help and the Queensland Rescue Helicoper responded.

However, Irwin was immediately pronounced dead at the scene. The Queensland Police Service notified his family and released a statement for the media concerning the event.

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.

See also:
http://www.news.com.au/0,,,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5311298.stm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060904/ts_nm/australia_irwin_dc

Sad day for ,this guy was a fun guy to watch ,this is one freak thing ,a sting ray ????????????????????????????? he loved wild life, nature ,the ocean ,and was always living on the edge.he did get to live his dream but only for a short time ...rest in peace croc hunter.

RIP croc hunter, sad day indeed.....

Very sad, fun guy, I hope some of the dive guides in belize will now understand that stingrays can be dangerous. It's not the fault of the ray if people choose to get too close or touch them.

I always thought it was going to be a snake or croc that did him in but certainly it was just a matter of time with his proffesion and the risks he took to entertain.

i watched the news on CNN this morning only to hear the reporter report it that a Stingray attacked and killed him so i thought a qucik correction on that might be an idea for those that are not familiar with Stingrays.

Stingrays DO NOT ATTACK people and there should be no fear if you see one snorkeling it will not attack you its more likely to swim away as you approach this was a freak accident and apparently from the reports it stung him right in the chest/heart area and killed him almost instantly.

Stingrays use there barbed tail as a DEFENSE only when being molested if it had stung him anywhere else it would of been extremely painful but not life threatening it just happenend to catch him in the wrong spot.

Most Stingray stings are on the leg area as they are accidently trodden on while paddling in shallow water where they feed the first aid in treatment of a stinray sting is to insert the area in extremely hot water as hot as you can physically stand without burning yourself this will nullefy the toxin while getting to medical treatment.

While this info will not help Steve it may be of assistence to a possible reader of this.

may he rest in peace I enjoyed his shows a lot.

First Aid for Stingray Injuries

• If the patient is still in the sea, immediately remove from the water.

• Staunch any profuse bleeding with application of local pressure bandage.

• Immerse the stung limb in hot water, ensuring first that it is not so hot that skin damage may occur.

• Unless the wound is a trivial one confined to a limb, medical help should be sought urgently.

• If the patient has not had tetanus immunisation booster within the last 5 years, ensure this is given by the local doctor.

• If the wound becomes more red and painful after 24 hours seek medical help (possible secondary infection

Adventurers like the "Croc Hunter" aren't destined to die peacfully in their sleep in the nursing home. How sad for his family. I think of the enjoyment he would have gotten working with his children and teaching them as they grew into young adults.
I hope he's having a cold one in Heaven with Marlin Perkins and Jacques Cousteau discussing their great adventures!
Australia has lost a great spokesman, and the world has lost a great environmentalist.

In Florida we use the "stingray shuffle" in other words shuffling your feet instead of stepping when entering and exiting the water. You may bump one, and he will scoot out of the way, but stepping on them is what causes the defense. Also, they often come inshore here, at least, when the water is warmest (like now) to give birth.

Way too SAD, for his family and the world. He will forever be missed.

Steve was one crazy mother. He lived his life on the edge and was in every sense of the word an entertainer. We will all miss him dearly.

Has the ray stung him amywhere else he most likely would have survived. Rays rarely cause problems with humans and in SP the Ray experience is a big attraction.

Let us not forget you are more likely to die on the way to the airport than diving in any way whatsoever.