Crikey! The Death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin

Monday, September 04, 2006

I was shocked to hear about the death of Steve Irwin "The Crocodile Hunter" who died with a stringray barb to the chest while diving off the coast of Australia.

Steve was filming a feature called "The Ocean's Deadliest" with Philippe Cousteau (the grandson of Jacques Cousteau), but the filming was delayed by bad weather. He decided to film some sequences for a television show with his daughter (Bindi) when he came across a stingray that was buried under the sand.

Stingray's are not agressive animals, but they will sting when they feel threatened or cornered. Their sting is rarely fatal, but when Irwin came over the top of the ray, it threw up it's tail and the stinging barb pierced Irwin's chest.

Steve Irwin was passionate about his work, and introduced millions to the wonders of life on earth. His work as a wildlife conservationist will be greatly missed. While most wildlife shows focus on the cute and cuddly, Steve Irwin introduced us all to amazing creatures that are often overlooked.

Irwin was only 44 years old, and is survived by his wife Terri and their two children, daughter Bindi Sue, and son Robert (Bob).

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