Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin

[almitywife]

I would also ask that everyone has some respect not just for the victim and his family, but also for all the other posters in this thread upset by this event.
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thanks Kim

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[MoonWrasse]

Thanks Kim - All I have learned about the tragic event is that one can get killed by a stingray - did not think that was possible.

Heck even a goldfish can kill you given the proper circumstances.

Guy Gulps Goldfish
29 January 1998, Ohio) Hungry or just plain stupid? Wednesday was a fateful day for Michael. He was shooting the breeze with a group of buddies, watching a friend clean his fish tank, when the friend complained that one specimen in particular had become a fishy menace. It had outgrown the tank, and was eating other denizens of the aquatic community.

Michael volunteered to assist. He seized the five-inch fish and attempted to swallow it. Unfortunately, the fish continued its predatory ways by sticking in his craw. As he gasped futilely for breath, turned blue, and sank to his knees, his three friends realized that something was amiss. They phoned 911 and informed the dispatcher that Michael had eaten some fish, and was having trouble breathing.

Paramedics were quickly dispatched, and they arrived to find the fish tail still protruding from the victim's mouth. Despite their best efforts neither the fish nor the twenty-three-year-old could be resuscitated. The killer fish had claimed one last victim.

"If I dare you to jump off a bridge and you do it, you're stupid," Police Major Mike Matulavich said. Apparently Michael was not a victim, he was just another Darwin Awards contender.
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/index_darwin1998.html

 

[Scubaguy62]

Chris, I applaud your post. I grew up in the caribbean and moved to Florida after high school; for 12 years, I also lived in Texas, and interacted with plenty of landbased wildlife. During the 22 years I've lived in either Florida and/or the Caribbean, I've experienced, and will continue to experience a diverse plethora of encounters with marine wildlife, from being attacked by a territorial damsel fish, being stalked by a 6 foot barracuda, getting spooked by a very legal size Florida spiny lobster that crawled out of its crevace to offer its proverbial "hello," two days after regular season, to diving with sharks in Nassau, to observing, in awe I might add, pygmy seahorses in Cozumel, and while I wouldn't call it an expression of our individual politics, I would agree that it is more a reflection of one's passion. If the word politics is synonym of passion, then I tender the argument.

At any rate, if there's something I've learned, and/or have reinforced through the exchanges in this thread, mine included, is that not only we are individuals, but that marine wildlife cannot be counted upon to behave equally under the same circumstances, from one moment to the next, thus, we must expect the unexpected when we interact with them, despite of how some people feel about our degree of interaction. Moreover, that those with more experience than me, in any given subject, whether it be land, or marine wildlife, or otherwise, deserve, at minimum, the respect their experience commands, despite of who they are. Lastly, the way to avoid an accident is the same way to at times, avoid an argument. My wife has taught me that, but I don't always remember that particular lesson too well..

 

[Gdog]

Rigdiver said it best............

 

[JDog]

I would question the fairness of comparing him to someone committing suicide or committing a crime. He already was famous, this incident has been on the news all over the world. I can respect other reasons people might not want the footage shown but the reasons you mentioned insinuate the man was something he was not.

After re-reading my quote tonight, I will agree with you, a very poor comparison on my part. I apoligize to you and my fellow Scubaboard readers.

 

[phhappy]

So sad to know of the incident. My prayers go out to his family. I am sure that his contribution and effort to the world conservation will be remembered. I could not even watch the special program in Memory of him in Animal Planet and National Geographic. It is so sad.

 

[almitywife]

just a small update, the family has declined the state and federal offers of a state funeral for Steve Irwin.

the family said that Steve was an ordinary bloke that wouldnt want the fuss

cheers

 

[cowboyneal]

Occam's razor (also spelled Ockham's razor, but not "Achem's Razor") advises economy, parsimony and simplicity. Occam's razor states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or "shaving off", those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory. In short, when given two equally valid explanations for a phenomenon, one should embrace the less complicated formulation. The principle is often expressed in Latin as the lex parsimoniae (law of succinctness): entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem, which translates to: entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.

Put in a way everyone can understand: the KISS principle, "keep it simple, stupid!"

A previously offered hypothesis carries so many assumptions as to violate the principle stated to support the hypothesis. Perhaps this is just what it appears to be, a horrible accident. Yes, the man flirted with some dangerous practices, but there is no "I'm right" or "you're wrong" here...so really getting all uptight about it and arguing isn't really worth a hill (very small hill) of beans in the end...IMHO...

CN

 

[arcdiver]

It may be that someone has posted it already, since there are so many posts in this thread, but does someone know what is the species of the ray that attacked Irwin? There has been talk about a bull ray in the media, but is that accurate? So, was it the Australian bull ray that attacked him (http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=8687)?

 

[Hoyden]

It may be that someone has posted it already, since there are so many posts in this thread, but does someone know what is the species of the ray that attacked Irwin? There has been talk about a bull ray in the media, but is that accurate? So, was it the Australian bull ray that attacked him (http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=8687)?

One of the most common rays in the area (Batt Reef) is the Cow tailed ray - http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/psephen.htm - has info and http://www.marinethemes.com/cumulus/catalogue.html has a great shot of the location of the barb on the cowtail ray if you look under whip rays/stingrays and then under cowtail. The wide, flat flap that gives it the name cowtail starts under the base of its barb so it is easy to see how far down its tail the barb is located. This seems the most likely choice for a ray that could produce the described injury.

Jackie