"Croc Rules" Steve Irwin

Tribute to Crocodile Hunter

CAIRNS, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and conservationist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.

Irwin was at Batt Reef, off the remote coast of northeastern Queensland state, shooting a segment for a series called "Ocean's Deadliest" when he swam too close to one of the animals, which have a poisonous barb on their tails, his friend and colleague John Stainton said.

"He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat at the time.
Crew members aboard the boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later, Stainton said.

"We have probably lost one of the most passionate wildlife people on this earth," said Irwin's producer John Stainton, who was filming with Irwin when his heart was pierced by the stingray's venomous tail.

I came across the news on 9.87FM, couldnt believe it at 1st thought i heard it wrongly.. On the tv news and saw the report!! Oh my goodness its hard to believe really sadden by his dismiss..
Wacthin Animal Planet Croc Hunter has always been 1 of my favourite channel in my free time! Hard to believe we lost such a passionate nature lover.

I do not know how did the stingray pierce him.. some questions in my mind.. did he came across it accendientally? From my many encounters wif stingrays in dives, Stingrays dun attack divers unless threaten, provoked or stepped upon accidentally... was he careless? I tink its unlucky some kind of freak accident! His spirit lives to be remembered by many and!

How i wish this did not happened!!

The Zoo will miss him and so will his family frens and fans..