Steve Irwin Dead..

[offshore]

Have spent countless hours U/W with many rays, including bull rays.

This poor bastard was laying, dozing on the bottom in shallow ( read warm) water when a large predator approached him from behind- he took flight .. to meet a coral cliff face barring his escape, and at that stage "went defensive" tail up -barb exposed- and Steve Irwin was "wrong place- wrong time"

If we ever see the footage I'll bet on that or similar scenario.

There is a precedent for this barb to the heart......many ions ago.... in my youth....... I was lifesaving at a place called Ocean Grove, out of Melbourne.

Many may not know, but rays enjoys surfing.

A guy was out body surfing, and as he got onto a wave, he landed on a ray.. it went defensive, and did the same thing. He was dead on the beach. T'was a million to one.

Steve Irwin was a great Aussie ambassador, although a lot of us in Oz cringed at his Okka outback presentation.

But he was a skilfull, entrepreneur, a great croc hunter, conservationist, naturalist, and all round wildlife ambassador. He was however, a very average diver, and had few "street smarts" in the diving department.

I will relate a little story, about one of the best divers Oz has produced. This guy worked as an abalone, and commercial diver in Melbourne, logging hundreds/thousands of hours. Each year he took holidays in Queensland and went diving socially. Each year he was repatriated from Queensland with various diving "problems" Stood on a crown of thorns, Cinugaua poisoning, major cut hand from a razor fish.. etc; I asked him why a guy like him, who did so many hours "down south" without a prob, always managed to get into trouble "up north".

"Simple he said, I'm a novice up there"... He was simply travelling out of his natural environment.

I can retell many other instances of this sort of scenario, good divers trying to dive to their "own" ability, in a foreign environment: "Out of their comfort zone"

It's something that has stuck with me, even tho I stopped diving almost 25 years ago.

Have dived commercially, was a CMAS ***** instructor, VP of Oz Cave Divers Association, instructor on Heron Is, worked on oil rigs, and on the Hydro Elec scheme in Tasmania, and filmed regularly on early White Pointer films, so my dive log has a few hours in it as well.

Steve Irwin.

Ambassador, conservationist, wild life guru, all round great guy..you made a statement that will remain with us for some time.

Most good, but please all o/s, realise that all of Oz is not a Steve Irwin character.

Vale Steve Irwin

Offshore

[got-it]

Wow...that's crazy. RIP steve

[wheaton26]

on a lighter note ... we can still follow his equally talented brother.

[new & improved osteopath]

My prayers to his family,

This was bound to happen, it wasnt bad luck

This was the result of media pressure, greed and Murphy's law

May his soul rest in peace

Greed? On whose part?? he was filming segments for a series of shows for kids, inspired by his daughter.

This was not a greedy guy. He gave enormous amounts of time and money to wildlife causes, and helped estaqblish several protected wilderness sights in Australia.

Good guy who tried to enlighten us all about animals we would never have a chance (or want) to encounter in person. He used sensationalism to help broaden his appeal- and it worked.

Rest well.

-O

[Everythingape]

Well said Nanuq..

"Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost."

Some men are not cut out for working in an office..

It's like caging a wild animal.

Irwin did what he loved, did what he wanted, and died while doing it..

Sad for his family, but his kids will know (and I think appreciate) when they are older, that their father died while doing what he loved.

[bres3000]

Ok now whoa there Neil, yes he was swimming just above the ray, but there is no indication as yet that he even saw it (they do tend to bury themselves in the sand) and the barb is more like 20cm.

It was a freak accident and no more Steve was like the 3rd recorded death by stingray in Australia and one of only about 20 in the world nearly all of which were caused in the same manner.....

Steve Irwin was a terrific entertainer, loved the world over. He was a devoted and loving father and husband. He had a kind heart, he was a good person. His death is indeed a tragedy but it was no accident.

If you [censored] with the bull, you're going to get the horns.

[Pugwash]

If you [censored] with the bull, you're going to get the horns.

If this were really the case, the Crocs would have got him by now.

[gran]

RIP

[fendushi]

There's no one like him... and never will be again...

Rest In Peace, Steve...

[ahchard]

it is indeed very sad...

[Shasta]

You'll be able to see his death on the tube some day soon. Camera was rolling at the time and, according to his wishes, if he ever died on camera then the whole world should see it....

[Waxon Waxoff]

Good guy who tried to enlighten us all about animals we would never have a chance (or want) to encounter in person. He used sensationalism to help broaden his appeal- and it worked.

Perfectly stated.

My wife and I watched him countless nights, and I got the impression that he wasn't promoting himself as much as he was promoting the animals. He had a love and an appreciation for them that he managed to transmit through the small screen more successfully than any animal expert before him. My family will miss him a lot.

[Guest TTK]

@waxon waxoff......somehow I can't agree with you on the self promotion aspect......he was more of a showman than conservationist......if it had been Sir David Attenborough that it happened to....I'd have been in more of a state of shock......very very different from Irwin.....and I for one learned more from his brand of wildlife study than I ever did from Steve Irwin......may he rest in peace tho'......!

[jonthebhoy]

@waxon waxoff......somehow I can't agree with you on the self promotion aspect......he was more of a showman than conservationist......if it had been Sir David Attenborough that it happened to....I'd have been in more of a state of shock......very very different from Irwin.....and I for one learned more from his brand of wildlife study than I ever did from Steve Irwin......may he rest in peace tho'......!

Have to agree. We need a sense of perspective here. Steve Irwin is a great loss and a man in the prime of his life whose death is more shocking by it's manner but he was no Attenborough. Attenborough is the guy that they all try and aspire to and seldom, if any do.

As Neil says tho', may he rest in peace and may his family be comforted at this difficult time.

JTB