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By: Ian Essling
AUSTRALIA - Steve Irwin, known worldwide as the exuberant and khaki-clad Australian with a love for nature, died September 4th after being stung in the heart by a stingray. He was 44.
Irwin was filming material on-location at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's northeast coast for a number of television segments, including "The Ocean's Deadliest."
When the waters proved to be too cloudy to effectively tape that footage, Irwin decided to use the time to film a school of stingrays for his daughter Bindi's Discovery Channel wildlife show.
While swimming in shallow water no more then 10 feet deep, Irwin swam over a large bull ray, which, while docile, can grow up to seven feet wide. Inexplicably, the ray whipped its razor-sharp tail into Irwin's chest, puncturing his heart.
Irwin pulled the barb out just seconds before the crew of his ship, Croc One, pulled him back onboard. They tried to stem the bleeding, but Irwin died before the rescue chopper could arrive.
Stingrays rarely kill humans; most often, any deaths from stingrays are due to allergic reactions to the venom, rather than any sort of trauma.
Irwin was known across the world for his wild antics and conservation projects as the Crocodile Hunter. His television shows have been seen in over 100 countries.
Irwin is survived by his American wife Terri, an eight-year-old daughter Bindi and three-year-old son Robert. |
