September 7, 2006
CRIKEY!
In what might be a textbook example of irony, "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was killed while diving with what are generally described as one of the more docile species of the sea.
Steve Irwin, the enthusiastic "Crocodile Hunter" who enthralled audiences around the world with his wildlife adventures, died Monday morning after being stung by a stingray while shooting a TV program off Australia's north coast.
Media reports say Irwin was snorkeling at Batt Reef, a part of the Great Barrier Reef about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) from the town of Port Douglas, when the incident happened.
Irwin, 44, was killed by a stingray barb that pierced his chest, according to Cairns police sources.
Irwin was in the area to film pieces for a show called "The Ocean's Deadliest" with Philippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques, according to Irwin's manager and friend John Stainton. But weather had prevented the crew from doing work for that program, Stainton said, so Irwin decided to do some softer features for a new children's TV show he was doing with his daughter, Bindi.
"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," Stainton said.
While Irwin made his living putting his face next to poisonous snakes and spiders and handling giant crocodiles, this appears to be a completely random dumb fluke of bad luck that could have happened to anybody. Even getting stung by a stingray shouldn't be deadly; Irwin just happened to get stung through his heart.
That sucks. While I wasn't a particular fan of Irwin--I thought he was kind of a buffoon--he was a person who was devoted to educating and conservation. He was particularly invested in the preservation of Australia's endangered wombat--something he was willing to put his own time, money, and effort into without taking any credit. He was a good man and the world will miss him.
He is survived by a wife and two young children.
Tagged:Posted by Lexiphane at September 7, 2006 7:31 AM
|Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.lexiphane.com/mt/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/921