Steve Irwin: living and dying with nature

Posted By on September 4, 2006

Steve Irwin and sonNaturalist and noted Australian naturalist Steve Irwin, known to most as “TV’s khaki-clad Crocodile Hunter” was killed while filming a new documentary Monday. He was known to push the limits of how close to come to some of the world’s most deadly animals. Irwin’s unfortunate accident came while diving off a reef in northern Queensland, Australia when “He came over the top of a stingray and the stingray’s barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart,” said manager John Stainton A helicopter rushed paramedics to where Irwin (44 years old) was taken although it was already too late.

A Reuters news account stated that “Irwin’s death was likely only the third recorded fatal stingray attack in Australia. They said stingray venom was agonizingly painful but not lethal, although the barb was capable of causing horrific injuries like a knife or bayonet. “It’s not the going in, it’s the coming out,” Australian Venom Research Unit deputy director Dr Bryan Fry told Reuters.

Steve Irwin was admired and chastised by many naturalist for his “living on the edge” stunts and encounters. He will be missed if for nothing else his addictive TV personality. If you’ve ever watched him, who can forgot his descriptive comments on whatever creature he was teaching his audience about.

Comments

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog