# "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin killed by stingray - **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 4, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370 "2006-09-04T04:43:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/81 "2006-09-04T17:19:28Z")
Was he diving when this happened? Or just snorkel? I am surprised that a stingray could pierce the breast bone and hit the heart. But there have been confirmed deaths. Perhaps he was allergic. I assume he was free diving. Rays don’t go very deep IIR, and a SCUBA BC would have likely been very hard to penetrate. Once in Texas, camping on the beach, I did a bit of swimming in the sandy water. Took me a take or two to figure out what it was that was swimming with me. I had kicked up a bunch of rays, and decided that that swimming would be a very, very bad idea that day. Not too many people can press the envelope, and continue to always walk away. Happy trails Steve. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/82 "2006-09-04T18:15:32Z")
Here are some of Steve’s thoughts on his purpose on earth: Exerpted from an interview [here](http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s960998.htm): > [@](#): > > Andrew Denton: A lot of people see you as this… this larger than life Steve Irwin, in some ways a one-dimensional, almost cartoon character. But what they, perhaps, don’t know is you’ve bought huge tracts of land in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, US. Why have you done that? > > Steve Irwin: I’m a conservationist through and through, Andrew. That’s, er…that’s why I was put on this planet, um, for the benefit of wildlife and wilderness areas. That’s what I’m into. That’s what makes me pumped, mate. That’s what myself and Terry and our families have been all about. > > Andrew Denton: So what’s this land for? > > Steve Irwin: Um, it’s like national parks, mate. > > Steve Irwin: We… You know, easily the greatest threat to the wildlife globally is the destruction and annihilation of habitat. So I’ve gone, “Right, well, how do I fix that? Well, making a quid here. People are keen to give me money over there. I’ll buy it. I’ll buy habitat.” And I reckon the only thing wrong… Now, how’s this? The only thing wrong with, you know, wildlife in Australia is that I don’t own it. I could… Imagine how many kangaroos and crocodiles I could have if I owned Australia? It’s, um… My wife is an American so she’s got this, er… She’s, um…you know, she’s a good capitalist. And, er, she’s very clever with money. Me, I’m not that clever and I don’t really give a rip, but, er, she is. And, um, so whenever we get a…a, um…enough cash and enough…and a…and a chunk of land that we’re passionate about, bang, we buy it. And what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to set an example to the world that, um, every single person can make a difference. Particularly those in the, um, in the political arena, um, those that have zoological facilities, any, you know, multinationals, any millionaires. They can all make a difference by buying chunks of land. And, in addition to that, every single person - man, woman and child, no matter what walk of life you’re in, whether you’re a, um, a fisherman, a janitor, um, Steve Irwin, the Croc Hunter - you can make a difference in wildlife by simply not purchasing wildlife products. Because today, Andrew, the wildlife perpetrators, they’re hard to spot, mate. But what it is, these wildlife perpetrators now kill animals and call it ‘sustainable use’. That, “Oh, let’s kill crocs, turn them into belts and that’s sustainable,” you know? That isn’t sustainable. Since when has killing wildlife saved anything? So, I’m a wildlife warrior through and through. And buying land means: A. that we’re going to be able to get animals back if, and or when they become highly endangered; and B. getting out into the world, taking you, the audience, with me, having an adventure, and making it exciting. Otherwise, you’re stuck with the demographics that, say, David Attenborough’s got which is a bit smaller than what I got. And changing people’s opinions on wildlife. How’s this? For the first time in history, mate, I’ve just been involved with an issue where people were worried about the welfare of a shark. How’s that? For the first time in history. Yay! > > APPLAUSE > > Astounding. Absolutely astounding. A tiger shark. And, um, admittedly the tiger shark was doing great. But her name was Bonnie…Bonnie. She was 14 foot. You know, I helped capture her and release her back into the wild. The first time in history! People are seeing crocodiles and snakes as…as animals that have welfare issues, which is fantastic. So I believe if I can secure enough habitat, then there will always be places for the animals to go when they’ve been annihilated throughout their habitat. Because, basically, mate, the human population is going off. It’s just a bit too rapid for the old Mother Earth to keep up with, mate. And, um, so this is my way of helping her out. ☹ Sailboat ---
**Author:** ![2lazy2pee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/4bbf92/32.png) [@2lazy2pee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2lazy2pee)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/83 "2006-09-04T18:44:35Z")
[QUOTE=JillGat] It was his son, who is now three and will most likely not remember him. [/QUOTE] A very small consolation: Bob will have hundreds of hours of video of his dad to watch while growing up. It’s not a replacement for having Steve in his son’s life, I know, but it will help show Bob how much the rest of the world loved his father. It may inspire him to carry on his dad’s work, even if he doesn’t get as extreme as his dad was, but does his work behind the scenes. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/84 "2006-09-04T18:56:45Z")
Mrs jjimm just speculated on whether Elton John will be re-recording Crocodile Rock for the memorial service… Sorry. Seriously, though, I thought the guy was very irritating on TV, but the stuff he did in the background was astounding. I really regret not visiting his zoo when I was in Brisbane last year. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/85 "2006-09-04T19:13:33Z")
I had to surpress the urge to kill a little while ago when someone tried to post (it’s moderated, so I didn’t let it through) Steve’s death in the LiveJournal “Mock the Stupid” community, citing it as “hilarious”. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/86 "2006-09-04T19:16:39Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I’m wondering if there is some footage of the attack since he was filming a documentary off the Great Barrier Reef. :eek: [/QUOTE] Not to quote myself (I mean, how gauche) but yikes! [There is footage of the stingray attack!](http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20355112-601,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/87 "2006-09-04T19:18:18Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Mrs jjimm just speculated on whether Elton John will be re-recording Crocodile Rock for the memorial service… [/QUOTE] Would it be tacky for Sting to speak at the funeral? ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/88 "2006-09-04T19:37:42Z")
[Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FqlJKCDdW8) is a link to a youtube video of an interview with Steve’s Director who was on the boat when he was killed. Apparently, the stingray was buried in the sand, Steve mght not have even seen it before it killed him. He was showing off coral reefs when he was killed. For those who doubt Steve’s love for animals, [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlxJ-UBaTaU&mode=related&search=) is a video of Steve crying over the loss of a croc he cared for deeply. From [this](http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20355067-2,00.html) article > [@](#): > > He lived in a modest bungalow and spent millions buying up areas of wilderness for parks…He had conservation projects in Fiji, Vanuatu and the US, and was continually buying tracts of land to reinstate endangered fauna. Estimates are of more than 24,300ha of conservation property in Australia…He also had a dream to buy a Queensland island to restore a couple of endangered species, including Sumatran tigers…“The Croc Hunter’s about wildlife, conservation, saving wilderness areas, jumping on crocs, it’s all about very positive things,” he said. “And I firmly believe our success is not only helping wilderness and wildlife, it’s helping humanity. The Croc Hunter’s all about saving the world, it really is.” ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/89 "2006-09-04T19:53:23Z")
I hope his wife has the heart to carry on his legacy. I remember seeing a documentary about their honeymoon…he filmed their trip to the Outback, and Terri had to tear leaves off bushes for toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/90 "2006-09-04T19:54:12Z")
[QUOTE=kimera] [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FqlJKCDdW8) is a link to a youtube video of an interview with Steve’s Director who was on the boat when he was killed. [/QUOTE] Fuuuuck . . . he was filming a program called “The Ocean’s Deadliest”. ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/91 "2006-09-04T20:19:28Z")
He died ljust like he lived. Way too close to dangerous animals. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/92 "2006-09-04T20:32:10Z")
> [@](#): > > NO, I THINK IT’S PRETTY SAFE TO SAY HE KNEW HIS STUFF. THANKS, THOUGH. Not to be callous, but we’ve just had the most conclusive proof possible that he _didn’t_ know his stuff. People who know and practice safety with regards to wild animals don’t get killed by wild animals. Show me a wild animal handler who died peacefully in his sleep at age 83, and I’ll grant that maybe he knew his stuff. Show me a wild animal handler who died from an attack by a wild animal, though, and I just can’t say that. Don’t get me wrong, I do think that Irwin’s death is a tragedy, just as I think the death of any person is a tragedy. In fact, it’s perhaps even more tragic, for being an avoidable tragedy. Hopefully, we can learn from this, so that others might avoid the same tragedy in the future. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/93 "2006-09-04T20:38:10Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] And wiki’s already been updated! well, I lost a lot of respect for him when he interacted with that croc while holding his infant daughter. He went the way he wanted to go, I suppose. Sad for his family, though. [/QUOTE] Not that it matters, but it was his son. > [@](#): > > A son, Robert Clarence, was born in 2003 and Irwin made world headlines - and suffered a dent on his popularity - when he took the baby boy into a crocodile enclosure, leading critics to accuse him of neglect. I still liked him. He was fearless. It’s a sad day. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/94 "2006-09-04T20:47:36Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] Not to be callous, but we’ve just had the most conclusive proof possible that he _didn’t_ know his stuff. People who know and practice safety with regards to wild animals don’t get killed by wild animals. Show me a wild animal handler who died peacefully in his sleep at age 83, and I’ll grant that maybe he knew his stuff. Show me a wild animal handler who died from an attack by a wild animal, though, and I just can’t say that. [/QUOTE] Again, this was a freak accident. He wasn’t even handling the stingray. Rob Bredl, Mark O’Shea, Jeff Corwin, Austin Stevens are all well-educated and highly experienced herpetologists and they’ve all been bitten by dangerous animals at one time or another. Does this mean they should never have gotten into their field of work? Does it mean they are bumbling idiots who couldn’t properly handle a daddy-longlegs? Or does it perhaps mean that their work is dangerous and they take calculated risks and, overwhelmingly, beat the odds due to their exceptional knowledge and skill? ---
**Author:** ![Harbinger\_of\_Courteous\_Debate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8c91f0/32.png) [@Harbinger\_of\_Courteous\_Debate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harbinger_of_Courteous_Debate)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/95 "2006-09-04T20:51:59Z")
I used to watch Crocodile Hunter when I was little, and it was always enjoyable. I can remember one episode when Steve was bitten by a snake and was searching through a book by flashlight to see if the snake was poisonous or not, which it wasn’t. I always hoped he would continue to be lucky, because his show was entertaining and he and his wife showed true concern for the animals. “Terrified creatures”? He didn’t harm the animals he disturbed, and I sincerely doubt they were emotionally traumatized from a few minutes of handling. Steve Irwin helped spead awareness about conservation and the destruction of habitat, and he will be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/96 "2006-09-04T20:56:46Z")
CHRONOS – > [@](#): > > Not to be callous, but we’ve just had the most conclusive proof possible that he didn’t know his stuff. People who know and practice safety with regards to wild animals don’t get killed by wild animals. I think this is an overstatement. Any person who engages in any inherently dangerous activity, be it skydiving or croc hunting or working with explosives, can practice all the safety and good sense in the world, but the reality is that they will never be able to 100% defuse the inherent danger in the activity. No matter how safe you are, the activity is still dangerous. There are freak occurrences that, even if they can be planned for, cannot be predicted to occur or avoided if they do occur. And that’s the risk you take if you engage in that activity. I think Steve Irwin understood that risk and ran that risk, but I don’t think the fact that he ultimately lost that gamble means he wasn’t “good enough” to do the work he did. At some level, the high level of danger means working in the field _at all_ is a crap shoot. And the croc hunter that dies in his bed at 83 may not have been “better” than this one, only luckier. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/97 "2006-09-04T21:08:01Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] Not to be callous, but we’ve just had the most conclusive proof possible that he _didn’t_ know his stuff. . [/QUOTE] From the audio of the guy who was there, it seems that Steve was showing coral and such, and swam over a ray that was buried in the sand. He didn’t even know it was there. It had nothing to do with “knowing his stuff” it was just a freak accident. That’s like saying that a professional driver, who is the best driver in the world, didn’t know his stuff because he was killed by being T-boned by a car that came out of nowhere and that he didn’t see. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you know. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/98 "2006-09-04T21:59:32Z")
I liked his work; it was fun. I abhor the impulse in human beings to attack the fallen on the occassion of their death. Lots of people whom I felt were lacking in one area ior another have died over the years. the appropriate resposne on such occassions is silence, unless one can muster sufficient human compassion to express honest sorrow at a man’s death. There s plenty of time to hurl your little barbs at his memory later. Steve IrwThe Crocodile Hunter was a TV show. Steve Irwin is dead. May his family find some solace in the memories of his life and the knowledge that he touched many with his passion for teh natural world. ---
**Author:** ![IntelInside](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a5b964/32.png) [@IntelInside](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IntelInside)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/99 "2006-09-04T22:41:14Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] Not to be callous, but we’ve just had the most conclusive proof possible that he _didn’t_ know his stuff. [/QUOTE] And Dale Earnhardt had no idea how to drive a car either, right? :dubious: Told my son about it today. He’s sad about it, but generally OK with it. He said “We still have the movie, and there’s still the show, right? So it’s not like he’s really _gone_, right?” I’m sure my kid’s not the only one Irwin inspired to learn about animals, and by extension, that learning could be fun. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370/100 "2006-09-04T23:40:28Z")
One of the bizarre things about this accident - by a guy who handled crocodiles and poisonous snakes, etc. - is that stingrays are not generally considered to be that dangerous by divers. In fact there are several places in the Caribbean where divers are taken by guides to areas where there are lots of stingrays to swim and play with them. There’s a famous place in Tobago and an area called “Stingray City” off Grand Cayman Island. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crocodile-hunter-steve-irwin-killed-by-stingray/371370.md?page=6)