Crikey! Stingray Kills Crocodile Hunter!
So how’s this for random and tragic? Steve Irwin, known worldwide as The Crocodile Hunter, is dead, the victim of a stingray barb to the chest while filming a documentary off the coast of Australia.
Yeah, that’s right – a stingray. Not a crocodile or a snake or even Albert, the Florida Gator. A bloody stingray.
According to marine biologists, stingrays are typically non-aggressive animals that are only dangerous if provoked, making it "quite rare" for anyone to die from contact. Most stingray attacks occur when people step on them and even then, the injuries are minor.
Sadly for Irwin and his family, he suffered a puncture wound to the left side of his heart rather than the foot or leg; the location of the wound likely resulted in a fatal heart attack. Though an emergency Queensland Rescue helicopter crew, including a doctor and paramedic, was flown in to revive him, Irwin was dead before they arrived.
Now, I never thought Irwin would live to appreciate the benefits of AARP, as there are only so many times you can tempt fate when dealing with wild animals and his so-called "hands-on" approach often bordered on the reckless… or insane. But I sure didn’t think he’d go down to a ridiculous creature on a one in a million shot to the chest. It just seems so silly and bizarre.
Having said that, it’s sad to see his life cut short. Irwin was an enthusiastic, entertaining bloke who did wonders for the animal kingdom and he’ll be sorely missed. As Justin Timberlake once eloquently noted, "He’s like Dr Dolittle, for real. He knows what those crocodiles are thinking."
Too bad he didn’t know what the stingrays were thinking.
14 Comments
Disclaimer
I am a jaded, sarcastic girl prone to unreasonable fits of rage. This site is my outlet. I am not classy, nice, or fair. It's best you know that up front.
Subscribe
Recent Comments
Pit Stops
Categories
Archives
Extras
“Too bad he didn’t know what the stingrays were thinking.”
You’re a cold hearted woman!
I really feel badly for him and his family but it almost seems like he had it coming. I’ve watched a few of his documentaries and he really harasses the hell out of those animals so they’ll react. That makes for a great action in the shows, of course, but you’re right – you can only tempt fate for so long when you’re dealing with wild animals trying to defend themselves.
He probably tried to hold it and have a conversation the way he did with those crocodiles. What a bloody nutter.
What a shitty and ironic way to go.
“Too bad he didn’t know what the stingrays were thinking. ” nicely done! I can always count on you for the insensitive take
OUCH on the, “Too bad he didn’t know what the stingrays were thinking.”
Figured I would join in on the insensitive comments to keep you company.
I always knew that he was going to die in a violent animal attack, but this amazes me. The odds of even a crazyass risk-taker like Steve Irwin of dying at the hands (or barb) of a stingray are somewhere in the neighborhood of the Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl this year. Or Michael Bush winning the Heisman!
Well.. at least he wasn’t holding one of his kids this time around. What a dumb ass.
You guys are always such assholes around here. this was a good guy who died doing something he loved. have a little respect.
You don’t respect people on the tubes. I mean, you do, but you make jokes anyway… it’s harmless. Nobody here is happy he died. People that get upset about random people making random jokes… I feel bad for them. They remind me of the people that complain when I make fun of the Bills.
“Well I’d like to see YOU play quarterback in the NFL!!!1″
So what Luke? The guy made a living basically daring dangerous animal to do something when he messed with them. One finally did and it’s making for some pretty good jokes.
A secretary here was really broken up about all this and got offended when I threw out your quip to some co-workers. She bitched me out for being an insensitive jerk and said something about why she hates men, lol
Irwin is now in animal heaven (I doubt he’d be happy in people heaven) in absolute astonishment that he was offed by something so absurd. Even he is laughing, Luke. Have a pint. Relax. It might help you to stop acting like such a jagoff.
Somehow I see ole Steve up there having a few pints saying “Crikey, done in by a bloody stingray, do ya believe it!” the guy obviously was a bit nuts, and pushed the envelope, but by all accounts he was a great guy. I’ll miss his work. I don’t know how many times I’d sit there watching him and say “you’re gonna buy it sooner than later mate”… That Super Bowl commercial he did for Fed Ex a few years back was classic.
Total suckage, no doubt about it. It’s a shame he had to go, but then I’m sure he’d rather have gone at the hands of an animal than some dumbass in a Holden or a slip-and-fall in the shower. There are worse ways to die. I give the guy credit for pulling the damn barb out before entering the big sleep. I’ll be toasting Mr. Irwin this weekend…the world needs more people like him IMO.