I’m sure anyone who has a computer already knows this, but…
Apparently Steve Irwin was killed while filming a documentary about dangerous marine life. Ironically, he was killed by a stingray, a creature normally considered non-aggressive and timid. It was swimming below him when something spooked it. It lashed its tail spike up, which pierced Irwin’s chest, and presumably, his heart. He died shortly afterwards.
This is a real bummer. A lot of people thought Irwin was just crazy (or stupid), but I didn’t really think of him as either. I just saw him as passionate about what he did. He really, really loved animals. I think it was pretty clear that he loved what he did for a living.
It’s really weird that he ended up being killed by a stingray, after having handled countless crocodiles, venomous snakes, and other highly dangerous animals. Even if that weren’t the case, it still would’ve been a total freak accident; I saw on a news article yesterday that apparently, there are only 2 recorded cases of fatal stingray strikes, ever. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time…
Edit: Hm, somehow or another, I’d accidentally closed the comments on this post. Not sure how I managed that; I never close comments. They’re open now.
Technorati Tags: steve_irwin, irwin
Tags: News
5 comments
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September 5, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Joshua J. Slone
Specifics seem to vary from news report to news report, but it really does sound like a freak accident. Not him taking some purposeful close encounter too far, as we all immediately assume. Here’s a bit from the CNN.com story: “He and the underwater cameraman went out to do some pieces on the reef and coral and stuff good for the kids’ show and, unfortunately, he came out over the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand and the barb went up and hit him in the chest.”
If that’s accurate, it could’ve happened to anyone.
You said:
“apparently, there are only 2 recorded cases of fatal stingray strikes, ever”
I think that’s the number going around specifically for Australia, so in total it would be a bit higher.
September 5, 2006 at 3:52 pm
Josh
I think that’s the number going around specifically for Australia, so in total it would be a bit higher.
Ah, okay. Thanks for the correction.
Even though the number for world-wide deaths from stingrays would be higher, like you said, it’s still one hell of a freak accident.
A real bummer. He was a good guy, doing what he loved, and doing some good in the world at the same time.
September 5, 2006 at 6:51 pm
Max
Yeah, that’s a serious bummer.
All in all, getting stabbed through the chest by a stingray is one hell of a way to go out.
September 5, 2006 at 10:32 pm
Josh
Yeah.
June 10, 2007 at 6:32 am
Tara
As an Australian, it was very upsetting when he died, but a lot of people found him annoying as well, they thought he gave us… not a bad name, but def a rep for being loud and in your face.
And, not sure if this is true, but there was a rumour going round that he could’ve survived, but he ripped it out, instead of waiting for medical attention.
But still, he will go down as a great loss