Although Internet vandalism is no laughing matter, especially in a time of tragedy such as this, I couldn’t help but chuckle at a vandalism of Steve Irwin’s Wikipedia article. The paragraph of his death had as a final sentence (quickly removed), “His last words were ‘I’ve had it with these motherfucking snakes in motherfucking Australia, mate!’”
Jeez. I try to take a break from homework, and find this on my news page… I really liked that guy; he did an amazing job raising awareness about some of the less cuddly creatures on the planet.
Almost the first thing I thought of was the FedEx(?) commercial he did, where he was bitten by a snake bite, and because his people had chosen the wrong shipping company to send the antidote, he didn’t get the injection and keeled over and died.
I would say that was prophetic, but I’m not sure it counts as a prophecy when you live in such a way that the odds are bound to catch up with you. My sympathies are with his family, and it’s a shame that he couldn’t have continued to beat the odds, as, say, Thor Heyerdahl* did, but at least he died doing what he loved.
*Yeah, Heyerdahl had cancer. But he died on his terms.
Actually, I’d say that Irwin died on his own terms. He went doing what he loved, which is all any of us could ask for. It certainly beats dying in a retirement home or getting hit by a milk truck while crossing the street. I suppose I’m going to hell for this, but I can’t help but wonder if his last words were, “Crickey! That hurt!”
No, I know Irwin died on his own terms. About Heyerdahl, I meant that when he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, he stopped eating, rather than linger and suffer. Should have included a link.
I don’t know how venomous a stingray is when you’re stung on, say, the arm or the foot but the reports are saying he was stung in the chest. If it didnt’ hit his heart it would have been damned close, and I’d say that’s what did it for him.
What I’ve been reading is that the barb pierced his heart. Sting ray barbs are kind of like daggers: slender, tapering from both sides, and several inches long. One could pierce a person’s heart easily if the right kind of circumstance should occur. A few pics can be found here.
Apparently from the interview I heard with his producer the barb actually pierced his heart. According to the cameraman Irwin was swimming above the ray and the cameraman diudn’t know anything had happened until he saw the blood in the water.
For Aussie viewers Denton has rejigged Enough Rope tonight to reshow his interview from a couple of years ago.
I keep thinking of the ESPN Sports Center commercial where he was in front of the elevator with one of the ESPN announcers when the Florida Gators mascot walks up. They wind up wrestling on the floor. It was hilarious.
I have to say, of all the animals on the planet that I would have expected to take that guy out, a stingray would have been near the very bottom of the list. Whatever else can be said about him, he died as he lived: unconventionally.
Thanks for the ride, Mr. Irwin. You were one of a kind, ya great Aussie goofball.
I really liked that guy; he did an amazing job raising awareness about some of the less cuddly creatures on the planet.