A Bull Ray
Posted on 09/04/2006 4:51:22 AM PDT by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
Edited on 09/04/2006 5:46:47 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
A DOCTOR and witnesses have told of the desperate efforts to save Australian icon Steve Irwin after the Crocodile Hunter was struck in the chest by a stingray barb today.
Irwin, 44, died this morning after being fatally injured while filming a nature documentary off Queensland.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
"there are other folks who go out and live their lives to the fullest"
The Crocodile Hunter was all that. He'll be missed.
Steve was definitely passionate. Now way he is an "actor"
Bindi was his shadow. They adored each other. Very sad.
There was an interesting interview with a guy [I don't remember his name] this morning who said the rays are hunted by sharks for food. It was a possibility that this one thought the human diver was a shark and struck out in self defense.
Steve was filming a childrens show that his daughter was to star in. Probably one of the least dangerous things he's done but fate dealt him a terrible blow.
I will personally miss his shows, have watched him for years.
Prayers for Terri, Bindi and Bob and the rest of his family and friends.
The odds of being killed by a ray must be off the scale.
I remember the ESPN commerical where Irwin wrestles the Florida Gators mascot.
One article I read this morning indicated the stingray was "buried in the sand".
Did you see the movie about him? Treadwell was a loon and what he did wasn't even in the same ballpark.
From the CNN front page story:
Irwin was in the area to film pieces for a show called "Ocean's Deadliest" with Phillippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques, Irwin's manager and friend John Stainton told CNN's "American Morning." But weather had prevented the crew from doing work for that program, said Stainton, so Irwin decided to do some softer features for a new children's TV show he was doing with his daughter, Bindi.
"He came over the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand, and the barb came up and hit him in the chest," said Stainton.
oh for the love of god, grow up and stop needling someone just because they disagree with you about someone else's career choice.
That's about the only secnerio I could imagine because Irwin was not stupid. I doubted he would have had any reason to be grabbing rays or whatnot. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the snap of a finger he was killed. It's a sad story but this in no way makes him a "Darwin" candidate or the type of person described by some posts here. From most everything I'd read he was very careful.
What's also sad is that there will be millions of young kids over the next few days that will be very upset to see that Irwin has died.
American Chopper aka "The Paul Teutle Sr. School Of Parenting" provides a valuable service to the community.
Tasteless.
...and Stuck on Stupid.TM.
Didn't you read he has a daughter??
Prayers for his family & the crew with him when this happened.
........
Irwin had decided yesterday morning to shoot a segment of film on stingrays for a new television program that will be hosted by his daughter Bindy.
Surf Lifesavers national marine stinger adviser Lisa-Ann Gershwin said there had only been 17 fatal stingray attacks worldwide. "I think it's just an extraordinary freak accident that has happened to his heart," she said.
"A lot of people will be afraid by this, but they need to keep in mind that this was a freak accident, it was a terrible tragedy but it is not common."
.........
I don't think anyone can argue that Steve pushed the envelope constantly.
I remember watching a show where he was sewed up after a croc bite. It was on the inside of his thigh and looked nasty and painful. He said it happened many times.
I also remember a show where he talked about major surgery in his arm after an injury, where they removed part of his clavicle. I've had the same surgery, it's no picnic. I remember thinkng at the time the guy was courting disaster, and if he made it to old age he would be like Evel Kneivel - in a lot of pain from old accumulated injuries.
I am reminded of a comment another freeper said once- the ocean is the wilderness at your feet.
In a sparsely populated country of less than 20 million. With the highest concentration of poisonous species anywhere on the planet, especially in their offshore waters. Sea snakes (deadliest snake), stonefish, cone shell, blue ringed octopus, and the awful box jellyfish. Where some of the popular beaches use special netting to keep them out. Have you seen the protective suits that some use down there to avoid stings? Less than 70 deaths in Australia from box jellyfish, yet their sting can kill within minutes. So to say that only 2 (now 3) have been killed in Australia by stingrays and thus they aren't dangerous is a bit misleading.
However I wasn't actually referring specifically to the risk of interacting with a stingray, but rather the comment about how "He seemed invincible" and thus she was shocked that someone who constantly tempted fate might one day lose the bet. Kinda like being shocked that someone who played Russian Roulette actually was shot. It is a shame he died, he was a great entertainer, but there is something to be said about these daredevils lulling some of the less bright members of the public into a false sense of invulnerability that leads to foolish risktaking.
A Bull Ray
There are several posts asking whether his daughter was with him at the time of this accident. NO, his wife and kids were NOT with him at the time, as is written in the second paragraph of the story that was posted:
"His American-born wife, Terri, was trekking in Tasmania's Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair National Park when the news broke of her husband's death and was last night being raced back to Queensland with her two children Bindi, 8, and Bob, 2."
The article is very descriptive of how this tragedy occurred.
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