Croc Hunter Gone?

[archer]

It seems from news reports that the Croc Hunter, Steve Irwin, died in a freak accident while filming on the Great Barrier Reef. Apparently a stingray freaked out and stabbed him through heart with its barb.

It's listed on CNN among other news sites, so for now I'm assuming it's true, though I'm waiting for confirmation from other sources.

If any of our Aussie members would like to clarify this, I'd appreciate it. (That means you, Ayre)

My condolences to his family and friends, and to the people of Australia.

[phoenix]

I've heard it confirmed from multiple sources, and I feel it's a safe, if not a happy, conclusion that it's true.

I've actually been pretty depressed ever since I heard about this last night. The Crocodile Hunter's quirky mannerisms and catchphrase always made him somewhat hard to take seriously, but he was a legitimate scientist, environmentalist and father, and I'm truly sorry that he's gone.

[Alex Green]

He's the star of one of my kids big tv programs. ::sad

I haven't told them yet.

[BlueNinja]

We were talking about this at work last night. Somehow, most of us expected that he'd die in some boring, mundane way, like food poisoning or a car accident.

Though I must say, I never knew that a manta ray had enough strength to drive its stinger all the way into your body to pierce your heart. ::blink

[phoenix]

Manta rays don't; they don't have barbs at all, just tails. This was a short-tailed stingray, I think, and they.. well, they're quite strong, obviously. ::sad

[Sprocket]

Going by all the web footage that's been going around on this, it does look like the man is dead, and in the manner described. One report (from the BBC) even claimed that they'd caught the poor guy's death on videotape. One would hope that the producers of the show Mr. Irwin was working on would have the good taste to destroy any & all copies of that footage, but... I've no clue as to how slimy or non-slimy they are. ::unsure ::sad

UPDATE: I spoke too soon; some sicko has already put that footage out on the net. ::thumbdown:

UPDATE 2: The net footage is faked (fortunately), but Mr. Irwin's boss has apparently turned over the only copy of the real footage to the local australian police. Despite Mr. Irwin's wishes that such footage be used for educational purposes, his boss has said that he wants that footage destroyed ASAP. Sounds like a non-slimy guy to me, folks. ::thumbup1

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Sorry I wasn't able to confirm this earlier. His death has been on the news for the past 2 days, there's even a debate on wheather or not the footage of his death be made public, apparently he's said for years that if he should die on camera that he'd want it people to see it to learn from it.

There's discussion about possibly naming a national park or some kind of monument in his honour. He was a mad man and a character we've all laughed at and even cheered on a croc or some supertoxic snake he was harrassing but to be honest noone believed he would go out just yet and certainly not to a stingray!

I feel bad for his kids, his son is at an age where he's not likely to remember his dad and his daughter isn't too much older.

Though through a morbid facination I have to see the video, I really hope it's never released, death caught on tape is too readily available as it is and to see someone who seemed immortal go seems beyond wrong.

[SnakeEyes]

Apparently (trying to find where I found it), his wife Terri heard about his death from a friend who had themselves heard it on the radio. Although it couldn't really be helped as she was in Tasmania at the time, it's not a pleasant way of learning of your spouse's death.

To be honest, I'm glad he didn't die in some mundane fashion. It seems more comforting to know he died doing something he loved.

It's depressing to hear that someone went to the trouble of faking a video of his death. It's just sick.