‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin dies

[mrdc]

I poste dthis in another Steve thread but this comment almost makes it appear that he wasn't even handling the stingray.
"He came over the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand, and the barb came up and hit him in the chest," said Stainton.
I wonder if Steve even saw the stingray and the stingray sensed/saw him and defended itself. It seems like a very rare and freakish death. I wonder if Animal Planet will be doing any sort of memorial type show. I was first put onto to Steve by his crazy antics but I soon overlooked the crazy stuff he did and fell in love with his passion for all wildlife. I give Steve all the credit in the world for getting rid of my fear of snakes. Of course I won't be handling them the way he did (or handling them at all for that matter) but I used to not be able to get near snakes. He showed me that they are not to be feared but understood. They normally will only bite when threatened and tend to get the heck out of your way if you let them. Also, he opened my heart to other animals that I really never cared much about like other repitles. I guess in short his passion carried somewhat over to me because I do look at wildlife with new eyes and an open mind that I try now to pass on to my children by reading them animal books, taking them to zoos, wtaching wildlife programs, etc.
RIP Steve and many sympathies for your family.

 

[gexkko]

Lol beth, you wrote some of the same things I did, you just beat me to the post

 

[mrdc]

I do have a question regarding the type of stingray that killed Steve. I really don't know anything about stingrays but I assume some are more deadlier than others. What's the difference between the one that killed Steve versus the ones they have at Seaworld that you can pet and feed and the ones I swimmed with and feed in the Caman Islands?
Thanks.

 

[ophiura]

Sometimes, not much. That is why it is a freak thing. It is actually fairly difficult to get stung by a stingray. They are not overly aggressive. Sometimes at seaworld or similar they clip the barbs to be sure, but we tended to forget that a bit with our touch tanks and still had no issues.
But there are some very very large species of stingrays, with VERY long serrated barbs. At least 7-8" long. And there you have little way to get away.
I understand that he was snorkeling in shallow water. The cameraman was in front of the ray, and Steve was swimming along beside, when the ray struck. Just probably felt cornered. If he was hit anywhere else, he might very well have been fine.
So freakish, that if you believe in fate, you just have to say it was truly his time. Work is done, time for the rest of us to keep the message out there.

 

[mrdc]

I just saw on CNN a discussion with the director and it seems that the barb may have puntured his heart. I guess I was thinking that the ray had deadly toxin. I'm not even sure what sort of posion a ray has (really know nothing about them). The ironic thing is they were actually doing a special on ocean's deadliest but since the weather had been bad, Steve went to do some softer shoots for his daughters upcoming special and that's when the accident occurred.

 

[beth]

Stingray Info

 

[bill109]

Originally Posted by TX Reef
It is hard to imagine the Crocodile Hunter actually getting killed. He always seemed "invincible".
yeah i agree i never though that he would die due to an animal because not only does he seem invincible but he seems like the guy who knows everythong about treating the posions, when he handels snakes liek anyone els he keeps distance so i wonder what happend? you know what im sayin?

 

[ophiura]

Imagine a "stinger" with those serrations that is at least as long as your hand, from palm to tip of middle finger, or longer. Worse than being stabbed with a kitchen knife.
This is truly a freak thing. He could have been several feet away from this animal, and still been hit. It was a relatively unexpected behavior, IMO. YOu have to assume a certain amount of unpredictable behavior, but this was really just a freak thing. If he had lost an arm to a crocodile, or died from a snake bite, then I would have been like "yeah, had that comin'" but this really was not all that risky to do, IMO.

 

[mrdc]

Thanks for the info.

 

[mimzy]

I didn't mean to rag on Steve. I think he did amazing things for wildlife education; I have enormous respect for him and for what he did. As I said; no one lives forever. If he didn't die by freak accident with a stingray, it could have been a gator, a carr accident, or old age... like the rest of us. We take risks just walking out the door every morning. He was one of the lucky few who got to live and die doing what he loved. I couldn't ask any better for myself or my family. He and his wife agreed to live this life together. I was just thinking aloud.

 

[robsw]

Im not sure if this is the whole story just because the story is so wild, how do you get stung through the heart? my bet is he jumped off the boat into a big school of em. and tried to wrasle the thing. but thats just my guess. i can honestly say that he was a cool guy but i only watched it because he was always playing with death. so one day it was bound to happen. same reason i go to nascar, for the wrecks.
one thing tho i feel really bad for his famliy that he left behind. he will be missed by many

 

[gexkko]

Originally Posted by ophiura
So freakish, that if you believe in fate, you just have to say it was truly his time. Work is done, time for the rest of us to keep the message out there.

There is an old saying that if you cheat death enough times, death gets creative...
Seriously though, mourn him if you must, but do not forget his work and his message.
Here it is in my own words:
We screwed this beautiful place up, now it's our job to fix it or lose it forever...

 

[sharkboy13]

well even though this is truly shocking and sad it serves as a grim reminder for those of us that keep stingrays: DONT HUG UR STINGRAY! BAD BAD BAD IDEA!

 

[sea worthy]

Steve will be sadly missed by many, including me, R.I.P.

 

[blazehok68]

rest in peace Steve.....we will all miss you.

 

[dc2mlbsm]

this sucks he was fun to watch

 

[speg]

My brother asked me today "Man can you believe he died???" My answer was.. "Yes... I absolutely believe it.. but I do find it odd that it was to a stringray instead of a crocodile".
Also the first thing I thought about when hearing about it is his wife/kid.. someone mentioned he had two kids.. I had no idea there was two.
Regardless of if it was his passion or his life work or whatever... Once you're a father you need to learn some friggin responsibility and no do stupid @#*% anymore. Your stupid @#*% days are over as soon as you get a woman pregnant.. if you're a smart person that is.
That being said.. dying to a stingray like that is a freak thing like someone else said. Im sure nobody expected any danger like that from the stingrays.. heck.. i've played around with many stingrays and swam with them.
I did love watching him... but as soon as he got married and had that kid I started getting upset when watching and when he'd do something stupid. I feel the worst for his family right now.

 

[tx reef]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Look, IMO, this was a FREAK thing. A really freak thing. It is not easy to even get stung by a stingray, but to be stung basically through the heart? That doesn't happen often. While he was "out there" with some of the stuff he did, that IS in part why people watched. It is the familiarity factor that people bought into, and so it translated into why we needed to protect these animals. It is nice to film animals from hundreds of feet away, but the hands on "I WILL die to protect these animals" is what really got the buy in. That is the passion. The familiarity, the closeness that he had with animals, is what people understood and why they listened to his message. It works better - gets more people watching - then your "wild kingdom" approach. If one person, probably now a child, has picked up the same passion, then to some degree, it is worth it.
His family had to know that there were risks, but you STILL have far more risk of dying driving every day then being killed by a sting ray spine through the heart. Would you drive when you have a family? But there was a PURPOSE to his passion. I agree that things like climbing mount Everest? Things that really serve no greater purpose than your own personal challange? Hey, stop it when the kids come...but there are things that have a great impact on others, and the planet, and then I say do it!
He really, IMO, established a genre...now there are all sorts of "snake and reptile" personalities out there, but few, IMO, had the magnetism of Steve Irwin.
Just a freak thing.
Very well said.

 

[ophiura]

Originally Posted by Speg
Regardless of if it was his passion or his life work or whatever... Once you're a father you need to learn some friggin responsibility and no do stupid @#*% anymore. Your stupid @#*% days are over as soon as you get a woman pregnant.. if you're a smart person that is.
.

Again, you have more of a risk dying in a car accident.
Do you say this, as Beth mentioned, to fire fighters? Police officers? Soldiers? Maybe people may say well, they are more important than what he did. Maybe that is so, but it is relative. As a naturalist, I think his work was invaluable. He contributed, IMO, to a greater good as well. His wife does the same thing.
There are people who every day deal with crocs, gators, sharks, etc...we go to their facilities and think they are great. We don't think about the keepers who interact with them every day, and indeed, may be killed by it any day. And keepers are killed. Should we not have married people working with these animals? Should parents not be involved in space exploration because they may die? In the end, you have a pretty darn good shot at dying any day of the week. There are thousands of jobs that will get you killed. Are people stupid for doing them when they could be working, I don't know, as a secretary? But then you could be killed on the drive in.
We recently did a tank tour. One guy was very generous. We ate at his house, enjoyed the hospitality. A week later he was dead. Bam. Young guy. A friend's relative was just killed by a drunk driver. Bam. Gone. You can die at any time doing anything, even if you DON"T think your life is in danger. We can't stop living because we have kids. There are certain things that I agree with this on. As mentioned, things that are self serving. Things that appeal to your own sense of excitement, and contribute nothing to the world at large.
Steve Irwin had a passion. He married a woman with a passion. His kids have this same passion (if you have seen them on shows). He died educating the world. That, IMO, is a worthy cause. I hate to see him go. His kids will have a rough time for sure, though an extended family greater than most could hope for.
But, I personally can't say he was irresponsible. And I sure as heck won't say he was stupid. I don't think that is a fair accusation at all. Think of his wife and kids if you must, and don't call their father stupid.

If he did anything at all, he may have simply made a mistake. And I am not throwing any stones at that.

 

[tx reef]

Originally Posted by ophiura
Again, you have more of a risk dying in a car accident.
Do you say this, as Beth mentioned, to fire fighters? Police officers? Soldiers? Maybe people may say well, they are more important than what he did. Maybe that is so, but it is relative. As a naturalist, I think his work was invaluable. He contributed, IMO, to a greater good as well. His wife does the same thing.
There are people who every day deal with crocs, gators, sharks, etc...we go to their facilities and think they are great. We don't think about the keepers who interact with them every day, and indeed, may be killed by it any day. And keepers are killed. Should we not have married people working with these animals? Should parents not be involved in space exploration because they may die? In the end, you have a pretty darn good shot at dying any day of the week. There are thousands of jobs that will get you killed. Are people stupid for doing them when they could be working, I don't know, as a secretary? But then you could be killed on the drive in.
We recently did a tank tour. One guy was very generous. We ate at his house, enjoyed the hospitality. A week later he was dead. Bam. Young guy. A friend's relative was just killed by a drunk driver. Bam. Gone. You can die at any time doing anything, even if you DON"T think your life is in danger. We can't stop living because we have kids. There are certain things that I agree with this on. As mentioned, things that are self serving. Things that appeal to your own sense of excitement, and contribute nothing to the world at large.
Steve Irwin had a passion. He married a woman with a passion. His kids have this same passion (if you have seen them on shows). He died educating the world. That, IMO, is a worthy cause. I hate to see him go. His kids will have a rough time for sure, though an extended family greater than most could hope for.
But, I personally can't say he was irresponsible. And I sure as heck won't say he was stupid. I don't think that is a fair accusation at all. Think of his wife and kids if you must, and don't call their father stupid.

If he did anything at all, he may have simply made a mistake. And I am not throwing any stones at that.

***)