'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin killed by stingray

[WestCoasta]

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.




damn that sucks, guy was insane

[DipsetGeneral]

Yeah there is a thread already in the gspot.  You got it right though it should have been in this section.  Yeah real tragic, dude was cool as fuck RIP

[herpes]

he had 2 young kids too... rip

[Javier]

R.I.P

[Bomb-A®]

he had 2 young kids too... rip

[Canuck]

R.I.P this is really tragic

[R-Tistic]

That's hella shady. I didn't know he was 44.

[Sikotic™]

I just got news of this from a friend when I was driving back to my pad. I'm really sad about this because he seemed like a guy who loved life. Not to mention he has 2 kids and a really nice wife. This really is some sad news.

RIP Steve Irwin

[NiCc_FrUm_ThA_nO]

I just got news of this from a friend when I was driving back to my pad. I'm really sad about this because he seemed like a guy who loved life. Not to mention he has 2 kids and a really nice wife. This really is some sad news.

RIP Steve Irwin

Yea I agree with you, never seemed down at all lived life like everyday was the last. R.I.P.

[Leggy Hendrix]

damn, cant believe this, like Sik, he always seemed to enjoy life, spent every day risking his life doing what he loved, and died that same way...we can only hope that is the case for all of us...R.I.P. The Crocodile Hunter...fucked up man...

[rik]

R.I.P

[WestCoasta]

and to think this dude caught a stingray knife to the heart, that's fucked up!


for real tho, that's the chance you take, and most of the time nothing happens

but if it does then damn....

[Mac 10 †]

it was always one of these things you thought would eventually happen.

damn shame.

R.I.P.

[Trauma-san]

Please tell me this is a sick joke.  That guy is one of the most passionate full of life people I've ever seen on television... not only did he have a family to care for, he had an entire zoo chock full of animals he cared for and revitalized Australia's zoo system. 

[Bramsterdam (see ya)]

Im gonna miss watchin him on tv, whenever I can I always try to catch that show, no joke.

Rip