OT: CRIKEY!!! Steve Irwin's DEAD!

[light_sabe_r]

Okay. It's not cycling but it's sad.

It's breaking news over here... So you guys will probably hear about it soon...

Steve Irwin is dead! Stabbed through the heart with a STING RAY barb.

Over here you either loved him or thought he was a total idiot. But It's sad that he's gone. It's sad that his kids Bindi and Bob don't have a dad any more and that Australia Zoo's main attraction is gone.

I think the Aussie Bush is going to suffer the most out of this. He was one of the most vocal conservationists in this country and as a cyclist and someone who loves just getting LOST in rainforrests I thank him for that.

Rest in Peace Mate

Here's the FIRST report of his death. The one that sent our YAHOO and MSN sites into a server meltdown 30mins ago...

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...34-952,00.html

[Kitsune06]

Oh my God! I watched his show a lot as a kid!

That's really sad...

...though a lot of what he did seemed to be risky...

geez. Mom liked him a lot...

[postiechic]

unreal, banana peel!
he was an absolute nutter....and i couldn't stand him..but still, poor bloke. Least he karked it doing what he loved doing most.

[crazycanuck]

My heart goes out to his family.

No matter how much i cringed every time i saw him on tv, light is correct when she said

I think the Aussie Bush is going to suffer the most out of this. He was one of the most vocal conservationists in this country and as a cyclist and someone who loves just getting LOST in rainforrests I thank him for that.

Matey, australia & the other creatures out there... will miss ya.

c

[enzed]

I just heard the story on the TV news.
Yes, he could be annoying at times. But he was an advocate for the environment. I visited Australia Zoo a few years ago and found it fun & educational. He had some great ideas for protecting the aussie bush.
I can't help but feel sorry for the two kids, who are now without a dad.

Being attacked by a stingray? How freaky is that.

[Nanci]

Wow, I can't believe it- he was my hero!!

[arnaew]

It's a shame when someone who champions the environment is lost, by whatever means. However, it must be said that Steve Irwin was a bit of a tosser. He thought (in contradistinction to great nature documentary makers like Richard Attenborough) that he had to perform like an idiot to get people to watch. He has been reported numerous times for poor practices around animals (his son around a crocodile, himself around whales, seals et al) which, unfortunately, often diffused the message. To be stabbed by a stingray in the torso you would have to be doing someting quite unusual in terms of the stingray's orbit. When fishermen sustain bites (the most common victims) it is usually in the limbs, most often when the rays are accidentally hauled in the nets. These bites (stabbings) are rarely fatal. There have been around 17 known deaths in Australia from stingrays, all of them pierced in the torso (which has the same effect as being stabbed by a harpoon with the added bonus of a toxic poison). For this to occur, you basically have to be swimming directly above them or trying to ride them, either of which will p*ss the ray off. Irwin's history and the stingray's habits would indicate that he perhaps wasn't being as responsible or respectful as he should have been. Considering that the doco he was shooting was called 'The Ocean's Deadliest', you'd think that he would have been a tad more cautious... I am so sorry for his wife and children (backpacking in the Tasmanian mountains at the time) - Bindi (daughter, around 8) is apparently a wild life fanatic.

[wannaduacentury]

I thought his antics were goofy, but he was a really neat guy who did a whole lot of good for the natural world and conservation. My prayers are with his family.

[Denise223]

Very sad!

Our thoughts & prayers are certainly with his family..... He lived life to the fullest -- I enjoyed watching his shows & loved seeing him enjoy the world with his wife & children...

He will surely be missed

[kerrybelle]

I'm still at a loss. How very sad indeed, for everyone & everything involved! Like many have said his antics may have been a little over the top at times, but over all he has done a great deal for the animals and their envirenment.

Our thoughts & prayers are with his family. He will be missed by many....

Kerry

[Tater]

I found his approach a bit over the top, but I admired the h*ll out of his dedication to conservationalism, animals and the environment. I agree with Queen also, he did a lot for bringing knowledge to the masses about many fears and phobias. I was sorry to hear about his passing.

[Trekhawk]

The death of Stevo is a great loss for Australia. No matter how you felt about the guy he helped people all over the world realize that the nasty bitey things have just as much right to share this planet as we do. His showmanship is what made him famous and what gave him the power to get people to listen.

He and his wife puchased large areas of land in Australia, USA and the South Pacific and these have remained wilderness areas. He told everyone you can make a difference but you have to try.

My family and I mourn his death and our hearts go out to his family and friends.