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Steve Irwin killed in freak accident
05 September 2006

By DAVID WILLIAMS, LOUSIA HEARN and AAP
Sydney Morning Herald

Television personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin has died from a stingray wound while filming off north Queensland.

Friends believe he may have died instantly when struck by a stingray as he filmed a sequence for his eight-year-old daughter Bindi's new TV series.

Irwin's friend of 20 years, Ferre De Deyne said Irwin had been struck by the stingray while filming. "The stingray just happened to be swimming around and out of the blue whacked his tail at him," he said.

"It is absolutely tragic. I have dived so many times with stingrays and they are usually very placid things," he said.

Known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, 44-year-old Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!"

Irwin had been filming a new documentary called Ocean's Deadliest with friend and manager John Stainton at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas about 11am.

"He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray's barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart," Mr Stainton said.

"It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don't think that he ... felt any pain.

"He died doing what he loved best."

Irwin was pulled aboard his research vessel, Croc One, for a 30-minute dash to Low Isle, where a Queensland Rescue Helicopter had been summoned, his Australia Zoo said in a statement.

The crew of the Croc One performed constant CPR during the voyage to Low Isle, but medical staff pronounced him dead about noon.

"It became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries," said Dr Ed O'Loughlin, who treated Irwin at the scene.

"He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest.

"He had lost his pulse and wasn't breathing."

Dr O'Loughlin said it appeared Mr Irwin had suffered a "form of cardiac arrest" but a post-mortem examination would be conducted in Cairns.

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Originally posted by Shrouded:
I'm a mite tentative about suggesting this... but maybe we should make Steve Irwin an honorary BDH? Sure, he wasn't in Firefly or Serenity - he may not have even heard of it, but he did what he did because he loved doing it, and didn't care whether or not society in general thought he was stupid at some points or not. He's always been a hero to me, since when I was four years old and first saw him. For me, the way he lived his life... it seems to me he has all the qualities to be a BDH; recklessness, passion, humor, and a need to do what many people wouldn't have the nerve to.

Just a thought...

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"It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don't think that he ... felt any pain."

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Originally posted by FollowMal:


I vote for making Steve Irwin an honorary BDH.
He lived his life the way he wanted and with his own mind guiding him.

He was one in a million.

He will be sorely missed and my heart goes out to his wife and the kids.

Go here to Boost the Signal!
www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=20&t=23296




Ask me how to join the Appreciatin' Nathan Crew!

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Originally posted by Shrouded:
maybe we should make Steve Irwin an honorary BDH?

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Originally posted by Peulsar5:
I can't count the times I yelled at the screen "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING YOU CRAZY LOON!!!!"

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