Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin

[james croft]

I stepped on what I believe was probably a small ray in NC a few years ago. Fortunately I was wearing a pair of Teva sandals and the barb went into the sole of the shoe. I later dug out the barb. It was a sinister looking thing with barbs like a coping saw running down both edges of it. Pretty tough animal to drive it into the soles of those Tevas. I shudder to think what would have happened if I had not been wearing them. It definitely would have been very painful. I can only imagine the power of a large ray with a 7" barb. I know have a healthy respect for rays. No trips to Stingray City for me.

 

[gangrel441]

I have a different angle. All of these years he was doing what he did, he was never once bitten by a crocadilian, and he was never once envenomated by a venomous snake or dangerous insect or arachnid. I saw him get bitten on the hand by a wobegong once, but the animals that got him were generally not dangerous ones.

My guess is that he had let his guard down around an animal that has a reputation for being quite docile and not particularly dangerous. I certainly think he did things were of a nature that one should never do unless they know exactly what they are doing. However, I think Steve knew exactly what he was doing and had a handle on the situation at pretty much all times. He just was less cautious around animals that aren't known to seriously hurt people. This time, one got him.

R.I.P., Steve. I know I'll miss you!

 

[Doubles]

I know this isn't Politically Correct, and I'm really sorry he died, but I'm also not all that surprised or upset.

if you annoy enough dangerous creatures enough times, one of them is going to get you.

And just for a little reality check, if anybody here posted that he/she did the things that Steve did, the flames would be coming from all sides yelling "you're gonna die". And he did.

Terry

Sure Steve Irwin took many chances, but it is quite possible that this was truely a freak accident and that he did not provoke the ray at all. Nature gave rays the ability to hide in the sand, and they are very good at that.

Last year I was diving the Coral Sea/Cod Hole area and and while diving with one of the boats instructors off the live-aboard (who also happened to be a a pro photographer) we found a patch of garden eels and both settled down to the sand to get that perfect photo looking up into the darkblue background, we were about 6 feet apart, there was a blue spotted lagoon ray buried in the sand inbetween us that neither of us saw, we startled it and it swam a few feet in front of us and burried itself again. One of us could have easily dropped down right on top of it without realizing it was there.

I am hoping for the sake of the family that they never release the film so this will probably be a topic of discussion for some time to come.

I also read that his daughter was with him

 

[gangrel441]

I also read that his daughter was with him

My understanding is that she was working with him on the documentary, but she wasn't present at the time of the accident.

 

[ReefHound]

My condolences and prayers go out to Steve's family and friends.

His wife shared his passions and will understand and deal with his death to the extent possible. I heard that his 8-yr-old daughter Bindi was with him at the time. Don't know if she witnessed anything or was just nearby but that will be a traumatic experience.

Steve took lots of chances and it was probably just his drive for thrill-seeking experiences, but the pressures of television to push it into the danger zone and have close calls are also there. If Steve had played it too cautiously, they'd have found someone else.

Steve Erwin was an educator, teaching the public to see the beauty and value in nature's ugliest and most viscious creatures. He taught us not to hold it against these animals for doing what they were programmed to do. He would be the first to defend the stingray for doing what it did.

 

[BKP]

Was this stingray the same animal that people swim with at stingray city and that my children and myself hand fed while literally being mobbed by them in the Curacao Seaquarium? I remember pushing them away for fear of having my mask or reg dislodged. The ones in Curacao were black on the top and white on the underbelly. The ones I see while in the Key's are grey on top and white underneath (Southern Stingray I believe).

Same family, ES... (and had my wife and kids feeding them by hand in the Bahamas two months ago, while they swam up into my lap)...

However, this is SOOOOO rare... and an incredibly freak happenstance... rays *only* react (and involuntarily, at that) when stepped on, or frightened from immediately above... and even then, it's *rarely* fatal --

I was a big Steve Irwin fan (from way back, and a lifetime fascination with snakes -- he amazed me while I watched an Inland Taipan, possibly the most venemous snake in the world, crawl across his face, while he smiled that infectious grin...).

He will be *very* missed... my family's heart and best wishes go out to his family...

 

[k4man]

Don't know for sure, but online CNN is covering the story.

 

[ohmdiver]

"but the pressures of television to push it into the danger zone and have close calls are also there. If Steve had played it too cautiously, they'd have found someone else"

With that said, I wonder how much was tv and how much was reality?

Would we have watched if he wasn't taken chances?

He was not a stupid man or inexperianced with wildlife.

He was the mondern day Merlin Perkins and he derserves our respect for the work he was doing.

May he rest in peace. Our prayers and best wishes to his family and friends

 

[Crawl79]

No matter if you like what he did, he had a great passion for the animals he worked with more so than most of us. My condolences to his family and friends everywhere.

 

[Ga Diver]

I would like to first send my condolences to the family of Steve. He was truly absorbed in his work with wildlife on land and in the water, giving a large audience an insight into things they would not normally know about. Some say he was over the top and too unreal, entertainers would not go the dangerous extreme he always went to give you the very best knowledge and understanding of his subjects. He gave his life doing what he felt was his passion, to give us all a look into nature. God Speed Steve.