Steve Irwin (crocodile hunter) dies..........

[WDW Poly Princess]

I wonder who will take over running the zoo? It will certainly be hard for them to handle it without him!

 

[TerryKitten]

So sad! I'm sure sadness of his death is felt around the world. He will be missed. My thoughts are with the family.

 

[daisy_77]

This is very sad news.

 

[lclark0621]

I wonder who will take over running the zoo? It will certainly be hard for them to handle it without him!

I would think his wife will stay on & take over more responsibilites. On his show about the zoo (Crocodile Hunter Diary), it lookes like all of his main team take a real active & important role in the day to day runnings of the zoo. He always said they were his family.

 

[PixieDust32]

OMG!! I love Steve Irwin! He's my hero! Im so sad right now.

 

[Nutsy]

Wouldn't it have been officially confirmed before they put it on all the news channels??

NO, Even tho they were saying it was Steve and he had died, they would not actually confirm it was him.

I live 40 mins from his Zoo and in the same state as where it all happened. On our news here, they were all saying it was Steve and yes even tho it obvioulsy was him, it had to be officially confirmed. The police would not conifrm it was actually STeve until it he was officially identified by Terri.

 

[PixieDust32]

'Crocodile Hunter' Killed by Stingray Barb
Irwin, 44, Dies During Dive Expedition
AP
BRISBANE, Australia (Sept 4) - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44.

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was diving near Low Isles Reef near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of the state capital of Brisbane.

Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef but refused to say who the victim was until relatives had been notified.

A rescue helicopter was sent from the nearby city of Cairns, and paramedics from it confirmed the diver's death.

"The probable cause of death is stingray strike to the chest," Hamil said.

Staff at Australia Zoo, Irwin's zoo in southern Queensland, said they had heard the reports but could not comment.

Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter," which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on the Discovery channel.

He rode his image into a feature film, and developed the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction.

Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at the Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his 1-year-old son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the 13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other.

Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating safety regulations.

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken.

Irwin was also seen as a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections.

Irwin told the Australian television program "A Current Affair" that "killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me."

He is survived by his American wife Terri, from Oregon, and their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December.


09/04/06 00:54 EDT

 

[PixieDust32]

I really hope that it wasn't him! Please not him.

 

[Nutsy]

I would think his wife will stay on & take over more responsibilites. On his show about the zoo (Crocodile Hunter Diary), it lookes like all of his main team take a real active & important role in the day to day runnings of the zoo. He always said they were his family.

Yes, I would imagne Terri will take a more active role and his right hand man I would imagine will in some way step into Steve' shoes. I would also imagine the Zoo will close for a short period of mourning.

 

[PixieDust32]

 

[GrinGrinnyGhosts]

Reports: Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter'
POSTED: 1:46 a.m. EDT, September 4, 2006
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SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Steve Irwin, the Australian TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung in a marine accident off Australia's north coast.

Australian media reports say Irwin was diving in waters off Port Douglas, north of Cairns, when the incident happened on Monday morning.

Irwin was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to Cairns police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time.

Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality Monday morning off Port Douglas, according to Australian media.

Queensland Police Services also confirmed Irwin's death and said his family had been notified. Irwin, 44, was director of the Australian Zoo in Queensland.

He is survived by his American-born wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue, born 1998, and Robert (Bob), born December 2003.

Irwin became a popular figure on Australian and international television through Irwin's close handling of wildlife, most notably the capture and relocation of crocodiles.

Irwin's enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a global following. He was known for his exuberance and use of the catchphrase "Crikey!"

But his image suffered a setback in January 2004 when he held his then one-month-old baby Bob while feeding a crocodile at his Australian zoo.

In a statement released to Australian media, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed his sorrow and said that he was fond of Irwin and was very appreciative of all the work he had done in promoting Australia overseas.

In 2003, Irwin spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.'s Australian Story television program about how he was perceived in his home country.

"When I see what's happened all over the world, they're looking at me as this very popular, wildlife warrior Australian bloke," he said, the ABC reported.

"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing. "You know, there's this... they kind of cringe, you know, 'cause I'm coming out with 'Crikey' and 'Look at this beauty'."

 

[bekkiz]

My prayers are with his wife and young kids. This is a loss for animal lovers everywhere

 

[Honu]

Wow. RIP Croc Hunter.

A fatal blow to the chest by a stingray barb has to be a first. That is a really odd accident.

 

[mushumadness]

He was a great man

prayers to his family and children

 

[palmickey2005]

I wonder how safe the Stingray Excursions are ? I'm feeling a little scared to do this on our Disney Cruise trip.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family in this very difficult time.

 

[PixieDust32]

On CNN they said the same thing, that it was very odd.

 

[Aisling]

OMG what terrible news! Is this a hoax?? I have to goggle this and see if I can get further info. I feel so sad, I really admired that guy. My kids will be shocked to hear this news.

 

[TwingleMum]

Very sad

 

[Nutsy]

Wow. RIP Croc Hunter.

A fatal blow to the chest by a stingray barb has to be a first. That is a really odd accident.

It's the third such accident here in Australia, but only the first to the heart.

 

[Nutsy]

I wonder how safe the Stingray Excursions are ? I'm feeling a little scared to do this on our Disney Cruise trip.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family in this very difficult time.

He was actually filming a documentary and in typical Steve fashion he likes to get very up close and personal and he obvioulsy got too up close and personal and the ray let fire, unfortunately for Steve it got him in the heart.