Steve Irwin, The Croc Hunter, Dead!

[totalise]

This is a real sad day, that guy was an absolute legend.. brought hours and hours of hilarity to my life!

You know, you can touch a stick of dynamite, but if you touch a venomous snake it'll turn around and bite you and kill you so fast it's not even funny.

The world (and the discovery channel) is a much worse place without the great man

[Pab]

you talking about steve irwin?

[totalise]

yes, the one and only

[Pab]

agreed a great loss, I went to his zoo in australia, it was fantastic, was also intiating a lot of programs to save many species of animals, top bloke

[totalise]

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin dead

By staff writers

September 04, 2006 02:14pm
Article from: NEWS.com.au


THE Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, is dead.

He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said today.

It is understood he was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest.

He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the tragedy occured.

Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality this morning at Batt Reef off Port Douglas.

Irwin's body is being flown to Cairns.

It is believed his American-born wife Terri is trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and is yet to be told of her husband's death.

Irwin - known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter - is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!".

The father of two's Crocodile Hunter program was first broadcast in 1992 and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.

He has also starred in movies and has developed the Australia Zoo wildlife park, north of Brisbane, which was started by his parents Bob and Lyn Irwin.

Tributes have already started pouring in for the larger-than-life character.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.

Irwin was heavily involved in last year's "G'Day LA" campaign.

"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," a spokesman said.

A Tourism Queensland spokeswoman said the death was shocking and paid tribute to Irwin's "enormous contribution" to his adopted state.

Louise Yates said it was impossible to quantify how much Mr Irwin had meant to the Queensland tourism industry.

"I don't think we could even estimate how much he brought us through his personality and his profile and his enthusiasm about Queensland," she said.

"It would be difficult to estimate how much he was worth. And it would be difficult to underestimate."

She said Irwin had been a larger-than-life ambassador.

"It's not just what he brought but what he took with him when he travelled, his passion."

Australia Zoo, on southeast Queensland's Sunshine Coast, employs more than 500 people and attracts thousands of visitors every day.

But Ms Yates said it would be "unfair and unjust" to put a dollar value on Irwin's worth to the state, because of how much he had given.

[Indestructable]

Just heard the news.
 

[M3boy]

Sad sad day indeed

I loved his shows, he had so much love for nature.

[Maddog]

It was such a shock to hear the news this morning.

A sad day indeed, he was a top bloke.

[MrMoves]

Terrible news.  He died doing what he loved, though.

[Graham C]

Just heard about it too.  I can't say I am shocked though, he messes with animals that can kill every day of the week, one was bound to get him eventually.

[Sark79]

I just saw this on the News.  What a terrible thing to happen at only 44.   He will be missed, a true legend.  Regardless of whether or not you like nature and wildlife shows, everyone loved Steve. What a loss 

[Graham C]

Just been listening to the news and apparently only 3 people in Australia have ever died in this way. 

His shows were excellent and he did a great deal for his field.  Truely an ambassador for Australia. 

[matt674]

I can't say I am shocked though, he messes with animals that can kill every day of the week, one was bound to get him eventually.

 

Truely an ambassador for Australia. 

lol, right along side Rolf Harris and Dame Edna Everage............

[ACE2M]

loved his shows. A real shame.

[Woodsey]

I think alot of people will end up taking the p1ss about this unfortunately. I have to say when I first saw him on the screen I was totally dumbfounded at the sort of stuff he used to do and I thought he was absolutely superb, I will miss his shows greatly.

The one incident that I will always remember was in a show when he was taking pride in the fact that he had never been bitten by a venomous snake. In the very next shot he was messing with a death adder which gives a potentially fatal bite, and he was bitten! However the lucky sod was bitten on the finger nail so it didn't penetrate the skin, lucky sod!