Killed by a sting ray.

I am very sad about this :( He leaves a wife and 2 kids :(

To be honest..........this doesn't surprise me at all, he took too many risks :(

Edited to say,

Thought it would have been a croc though

No, I'm not suprised either. It is the way he was 'meant' to die if you get me. But he still did much great work and I still find it very sad..

Clearly a tragedy for anyone to die so young, and particularly for his family, but I have to say I found him intensely irritating to watch - brought to mind a schoolboy prodding creatures for effect. Not my style of nature programme.

M.

I agree entirely with you Lily Mc!

Thats what I liked about him M :).  His infectious enthusiasm for wildlife was a direct influence for me to visit Australia to see some of it for myself, something I will never forget.  I think he was careless with his own safety and for the sake of his wife and children that is a dreadfull shame but I think his programs on wildlife delivered in that manner will have reached many, many people in the way it did me.
RIP

Give me the respect of calmly watching animals interact normally with each other, in their natural environment, whilst observed from afar any day. ;)

Huge tragedy as I say, though - he apparently did a huge amount of good for the Australian environment, but unfortunately all I ever saw was his schoolboy approach.

M.

Have to say I agree with you Lily Mc, you go & prod a dangerous animal looking for a reaction, you take the consequences!   

Yep, and he's prodded his last. If he was behaving with the sting ray as he behaved with other animals, it sounds as if it prodded him back.

As various people have mentioned, I think a lot of the viewing public were watching for accidents - as if they'd broadcast them ;) - rather than watching the wildlife.

Nevertheless, a tragedy for someone so young with a family, which I do not belittle.

M.

I would prefer that approach myself, too :).  I certainly wasn't messing about with any tails when I was in Australia ;) But I do think his approach as a showman, and I doubt he ever harmed an animal, was productive in bringing an awareness of wildlife and indeed exploded a few myths about which creatures are naturally aggressive and which are not.

Didn't even try your hand at crocodile wrestling, Isabel? Tsk, no spirit of adventure! :D

A valid point about natural aggression.

M.

My money would be on Isabel :D

:p

He is going to be greatly missed, loved him and his programes. He was infectious.
God bless his wife and family. The children had a Dad to be proud of.

I watched him once by choice, but The Boy used to like the programmes - not because of any appreciation of the wildlife, but to see if he was going to get hurt - he watched Jackass TV for the same reason!

As OH pointed out, he was Australian and his programmes were aimed at the Australian market, using methods that he knew the Australians appreciate. As such he raised Australian's appreciation of wildlife in a way nobody else could. 'Pommie b**tards' and their methods aren't respected.

I fully agree with you Isabel. He reached a lot of children as well, were many would find the average nature programme above them and hard going. Really feel for his family.

So sad. :-( :-(

So sad RIP

Unfortunately it's hardly surprising - he tempted Fate so much he was bound to get his dues. It was obviously a risk he was prepared to take (despite having a wife and children - I hope he's left provision for them) so I can't feel sad for him. And now perhaps people will stop thinking messing about with animals and grabbing them by the tail etc is good entertainment.

Almost a foregone conclusion! I enjoyed him, didn't like it when he had his baby dangling around the creatues though.
R.I.P.

Such a shame for his family. He obviously thought the risks were worth taking. He however captivated the imagination of alot of people, and raised awareness of conservation issues.
I think the manner of his death however is the ultimate lesson to us all. To show utmost respect for wild animals, and to leave well alone. R.I.P

Shocked.  Love him or loathe him he got your attention and I think that was his aim.  He did an awful lot for Australian wildlife and even instigated changes in legislation regarding the hunting of crocodiles. We have the Crocodile Hunter DVD (the kid's) and although I've only seen bits and pieces, what came through all the time was not just his passion but compassion for all living creatures. Very sad, I expect Australians will be in shock today.

Very sad.

He was eccentric, very showy, very enthusiastic and he had a big following - which probably provoked him into more and more programmes.

However, I feel most sorry for his wife & children as when you are a single man you can take the risks, but with responsibilities such as children its time to re-assess your priorities :(

Very sad for those poor children to be honest i was a big fan I loved his emotional attachement to each animal like after the forest fire when he was trying to rescue animals he found a lizard that was to badly burnt and couldn't be saved he was in tears cos he couldn't help must admit i have always loved watching nature documentarys but to see him get so involved was great as a child I was traumatised by David attenbourgh who would show a lone baby animal split up from its family then tell you it was taken in the night by hyenas because it couldn't find its herd this may be the proper way to do things but i couldn't stand by and watch would try to help and this is what Steve Irwin did. R.I.P Steve

He lived by the sword and died by it. I can't imagine that he would have wanted to go any other way than amongst the wildlife that he loved so much

Thats true. And at least it was quick. I feel quite shocked though this morning... I really liked him.

Having met him, he was a genuinly good chap with a real love of animalsand he cared passionately about the environment and the aimals he worked with, regardless of whether people liked his style or not, his heart was in the right place. & he was fully aware of the dangerous situations he got himself in. He would have wanted to go this way, rather than a nasty long illness, so thats the only good thing about todays very sad news. It was nice knowing you mate.

Sad that this has happened, but agree that he knew what he was doing and probably knew he would go this way :( Sad for his family though :(

Daisy

He was a no nonsense type of guy What you see is what he was

Hope the crocs were waiting for you at the Bridge Steve The world is a lesser place forr your passing

I agree but it's a shame that it wasn't 20 years later so that his family and we could have had him around for a bit longer! :(

I gather it took a while to inform his wife as she was up a mountain in Tasmania. I guess you just can't hold that type of person down and they just wouldn't be happy any other way.

When I told my mother that my daughter was going to backpack around Australia, the first thing she said was "You're not going to let her are you?"  All my mum and dad could think of was sharks and crocodiles.  On deciding to go my daughter told me that she didn't want her epitaph to read, "Born here, lived here, died here!"  Here being our town. Naturally I am constantly worried for her safety but at the same time admire her doing what she wants to do rather than choosing the safer options.  She flew out last November and was only supposed to be going for 3 months but is still there.  She's had plenty of downers when she's not had enough money to eat properly, been stuck in places she's hated, been bitten alive by bed bugs had her passport, clothes and phone stolen but the highs have made it all worth while.  She's made friends with people from around the World, she's worked on a banana farm where she's invaded the space of snakes and spiders the size of a human hand, curing her phobia.  Her photos show hundreds of metres of beach with only her footprints, turtles, dingos and exotic birds.  She's watched around 200 sharks thrashing around in a feeding frenzy just off shore. The other evening she was describing the sunset as she looked at the sea it was silver, there was a line of clouds that were dark blue, the sky above that was pink and beyond that blue.  My daughter has had more adventure in this last year than I have had in my whole life. 

Steve Irwin died doing what he loved doing, he had lived more life in his 44 years than most people.  Yes, it's a shame for his family but they will probably be the same as him anyway so they won't see that living a safe long life is better than living a fast adventurous one. 

Tragic. He could have achieved so much more in his lifetime. Thankfully, his passion and enthusiasm was so infectious I believe there will be many to carry on his hard work.
I'm very shocked by this, it wasn't what I expected to see on the BBC News homepage this morning. I believe he was very educated in his approach to handling wildlife, even if it did appear childish. To be struck by a sting ray is so incredibly unlikely, to die as a result extremely unlucky. Dealing with crocodiles, snakes, and all manner of poisonous and potentially dangerous wildlife on a day-to-day basis, and then to be taken by a sting-ray...it's like climbing Everest successfully then being killed in a car crash on the way back home :(

Im in shock too, so sad as i really liked him and the way he made programmes great to watch!

Tragic. I'm shocked. I loved watching his programmes.

RIP

:(

was surprised to hear this news, esp that it was a sting ray that killed him, like has been said you would have thought it would be a croc!  I was not surprised that he went this way and have to say I am amazed it hasn't happened before now, you play with fire........!!!!

I feel for his family :( 

RIP Steve!

My children all watched the crocodile hunter when they were younger and granddaughter now has a wiggles dvd with him in it too.  What a shame leaving such a young wife and family.  All I can say is i'm sure he died doing what he loved doing and i'm sure his family will take some comfort from that.  RIP Steve

Apparently he is only the second person to be killed by a stingray in Australia since 1945 - I think that he would have loved the idea of going out like that - but I'm sad for his family .

Margot

My eldest son is devastated, he thought him a real hero.  His poor wife and son what a terrible waste, he was one in a million I loved to watch him, a stingray of all things to kill him. :-(  I will certainly remember him for his fantastic personality and have been amazed by what he did, he was one of lifes natural talents, he sure knew his animals, and reached out to all ages.

I was shocked to hear this on the news this morning.

If only he'd been able to hear me everytime I shouted at the TV screen "well, don't touch it then!!" in exasperated fashion as a response to a glib comment that this or that snake he was attempting to manipulate was the most dangerous in the world and one bite could kill.

Perhaps it was inevitable that they'd get him in the end.  Very sad news but perhaps better for him than being killed in a car crash or similar.

Just think of all those creepies that can rest safely now he isn't going to turn over their stone!

He was very entertaining.

R.I.P Steve

An animal lover of all kinds and great husband and loving father.

Only person I seen to kiss a spider,,,rest in peace mate.

I wasn't surprised at all at this news :rolleyes:

I must admit that his programs actually made me turn over but I could see what people liked in him especially his enthusiasm.  I only hope that his wife doesn't continue to do the crazy things that they both did for the sake of the children.  Yes carry on the conservation etc. but don't endanger lives. 

Too many people die young uneccesarily without putting their life at risk like this.

RIP.

Looking at the more detailed reports of his death he does not seem to have died due to carelessness rather than just appalling ill fortune.  As Margot says, to be killed by a stingray is extremely rare, he would have survived the venom and he was in shallow water so rescue would have been very feasable.  What killed him was the misfortune of the barb actually hitting him in the heart.

Yep, more evidence that when your time's up, its up IMO!

i loved watching his tv series the croc hunter, and loved his approach with animals. Steve will surely be missed and one of the news stories has said the Prime Minister John Howard is awaiting on conformation from Steves family as to whether or not they want the State Funeral that has been offered to him

RIP

Tanya

I am sorry he died, and especially for his family. However he did have a tendency to deliberately provoke animals into reacting.Sometimes I felt he was being cruel in antagonising them, like a child teasing a dog. Apparently it is extremely rare for stingrays to attack...so I wonder if he was provoking it in some way :(
Still, stabbed through the heart by a stingray....a pretty spectacular way to go, and perfectly suited to a wild man like him!

R.I.P. steve, I also loved his programs.

Sheila.

I hope his daughter wont carry guilt over this,as steve was filming a segment for her new show.I can see her thinking "if it wasnt for me dad wouldnt be dead" :( I feel so sorry for his wife too,you could just tell those two were meant to be,i mean TRUE soul mates...

Very sad for those he leaves behind.  Very bad luck to be killed that way.

I watched animal planet last night expecting animal cops to come on. Instead they showed Steve on his american tour (I think he was promoting the film he had made?)
Anyway, silly me, sat watching with tears in my eyes :( and had to turn over in the end :(