Steve Irwin, Croc Hunter, dies from Stingray

[Another ship trip]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Croc-Hunter-Steve-Irwin-dead-in-accident/2006/09/04/1157222051588.html

 

Those of you who love the snorkel and diving with rays will probably be as shocked by this news as I was... I hope the link to the article come through. He was stung in the heart by a ray off the coast of Australia. I am so saddened by this.

[cruzegirl]

I am so saddened by this too...... Stingrays are not usually deadly... I know it was deadly due to the sting location but how very sad.. My heart goes out to Terri and his children.... He did so much for animal plights and conservation/awareness.... I loved his personality..Very likable.... Though sometimes risky and I didn't think little kids should always watch him but he was very knowledgeable and always trying to educate people...... May he rest in peace........

[divadiverfl]

I am so saddened by this too...... Stingrays are not usually deadly... I know it was deadly due to the sting location but how very sad.. My heart goes out to Terri and his children.... He did so much for animal plights and conservation/awareness.... I loved his personality..Very likable.... Though sometimes risky and I didn't think little kids should always watch him but he was very knowledgeable and always trying to educate people...... May he rest in peace........

Ditto--I teared up and still can't believe it. I hope this does not hold people back from diving or snorkeling in the o/w.

Like they said a very freak accident:(

[golfer1966]

Its very sad news to here about Steve and the way that he went. When my wife told me he died, I first thought, did he fall in the tub or something like that, but then she told me about the Stingray. My DW and I did Stingray City in GC a few times and to think one of these could do something like that. I guess we take them for granted becuase they get fed and handled every day, but they are still wild animals. I wonder if the Stingray City Tours will decline due to this. I hope the Stingrays dont get a bad wrap over this as being killers. Prayers to Terri and the kids. !!

[babakookie]

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Croc-Hunter-Steve-Irwin-dead-in-accident/2006/09/04/1157222051588.html

 

Those of you who love the snorkel and diving with rays will probably be as shocked by this news as I was... I hope the link to the article come through. He was stung in the heart by a ray off the coast of Australia. I am so saddened by this.

 

Thanks for the link. So sorry to hear of this; snorkeling and swimming with the rays may suffer, but as they say, it was truly a freak accident.

[first_time_cruiser_sept06]

First of all let me say that I was shocked and saddened by Steve Irwin's death. How tragic and horrible for his family. I am sure they will need a long time to deal with what actually happened.

I do have to say that this whole thing has made me a little leary about doing the sting ray excursion we have booked for 2 weeks from now..... I am sure that bookings for this particular excursion will certainly decline.

[BATA_Cruiser]

I adored Steve Irwin and miss him right along with the rest of his fans. Our prayers go out to his wife and children.

We snorkeled with the stingrays in GC in 2002 and 2005. They were the mildest creatures we have ever encountered.

We will be cruising again on October 8th and I look forward to swimming with them again.

What happened to Steve truly was a freak accident.

[w&k]

Steve Irwin has probably done more in a few short years to promote conservation of wildlife, and particularly dangerous wildlife, than anyone else. His delight in sharing his knowledge with others was a true joy to behold.

 

I'm a marine biologist and avid diver, and several people have come to my office to discuss the tragedy.

 

Stingray spine wounds, while they can be painful, usually do not do significant damage. There is no need to be afraid of stingrays, particularly the ones that frequent the stingray cities in various places.

 

My heart goes out to Terri and the children.

 

Wendy

[golfer1966]

I heard that if he would have left the stinger in, he may have been ok after heart surgery and he did the most damage by pulling it out. I guess if it is true the natural reflex to remove it kicked in and he did more damage. Just wondering if any one else heard this as well.

[Damselfish]

The death of Steve Irwin was tragic and the family has mysincerest condolences.

 

However, with all due respect, we do not know the whole story, only what the media wants us to know. I would not be surprised at all if Irwin was performing something unusual or provoking tha ray in some way. Rays are not aggressive and they do not attack without feeling threatened. I am not trying to villainize Irwin or blame him for his accident. I am merely trying to point out that based on his persona and history with wrestling various animals, perhaps he was attempting something similar with the stingray only this time it didn't go in his favor.

 

This SHOULD NOT make anyone afraid of rays. It should only make you respect them and appreciate them (and other marine life) more. Don't touch, don't harass and just look at them/watch them. marine liffe/animals are not toys.

[randlandk]

The death of Steve Irwin was tragic and the family has mysincerest condolences.

 

However, with all due respect, we do not know the whole story, only what the media wants us to know. I would not be surprised at all if Irwin was performing something unusual or provoking tha ray in some way. Rays are not aggressive and they do not attack without feeling threatened. I am not trying to villainize Irwin or blame him for his accident. I am merely trying to point out that based on his persona and history with wrestling various animals, perhaps he was attempting something similar with the stingray only this time it didn't go in his favor.

 

This SHOULD NOT make anyone afraid of rays. It should only make you respect them and appreciate them (and other marine life) more. Don't touch, don't harass and just look at them/watch them. marine liffe/animals are not toys.

 

FYI...the police reported to the media that after viewing the tape that Steve in no way had provoked the Sting Ray.

[Damselfish]

FYI...the police reported to the media that after viewing the tape that Steve in no way had provoked the Sting Ray.

 

Ah, I didn't hear that report. That's for the correction.

[libracon]

I watch Steve's show on cable every time a can. He was great with the animals. I think he truely respected them. My Thoughts and prayers go out to Terri and the children. I had just booked my Sting Ray Tour two days before this happened. I instantly did all the research I could. I truely believe that this is a VERY BIG Freak accident. I Believe that because he was hit in the heart, is why he died. I'll miss him very much and I hope that all the work that he has done for animals is not forgotten.:)

[cruzegirl]

golfer1966,

I heard the same info. that you did about the stinger... I am a R.N. and I have to say, whether he pulled the stinger out or not, the end result probably would have been the same.. Only delayed. It's like a serated knife going into the heart.. God knows what vessels he lacerated or how much heart muscle he tore.... But it certainly didn't help that he pulled it back out.... It's like a saw back and forth.... Would he have made it, probably not.... But we never know.... Such a tragic accident... I so feel bad for his family.... I loved watching him....

And the report I heard from Steve's friend himself, was that Steve in no way provoked the Stingray... With that said, just being close can scare the Stingray..... But they are such beautiful, docile animals .... What an unfortunate accident......

R.I.P. Steve Irwin

[IslandJim]

The death of Steve Irwin was tragic and the family has mysincerest condolences.

 

However, with all due respect, we do not know the whole story, only what the media wants us to know. I would not be surprised at all if Irwin was performing something unusual or provoking tha ray in some way. Rays are not aggressive and they do not attack without feeling threatened. I am not trying to villainize Irwin or blame him for his accident. I am merely trying to point out that based on his persona and history with wrestling various animals, perhaps he was attempting something similar with the stingray only this time it didn't go in his favor.

 

This SHOULD NOT make anyone afraid of rays. It should only make you respect them and appreciate them (and other marine life) more. Don't touch, don't harass and just look at them/watch them. marine liffe/animals are not toys.

 

Hey Damselfish, the Wahoo Tours group has asked you for additional information. You have posted unfavorable remarks and lies and they are asking you to clarify.

 

It is on the Cozumel Board here...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=404530

 

I don't see how you can expect anybody to believe your post.

[Fred&Lily]

As I heard it, Steve was above and slightly behind the big bull Ray which was swimming towards a camerman. The big Ray got confused by the camerman in front and reacted by flipping his stinger upwards and catching Steve in the chest.

 

I was swimming with the stingrays in Cayman Islands this past February and tame as they are, I still kept well behind Lily who did the feeding. But I bravely fished the squid out of the bucket for her.....

[madisonswims]

Steve Irwin has probably done more in a few short years to promote conservation of wildlife, and particularly dangerous wildlife, than anyone else. His delight in sharing his knowledge with others was a true joy to behold.

 

I'm a marine biologist and avid diver, and several people have come to my office to discuss the tragedy.

 

Stingray spine wounds, while they can be painful, usually do not do significant damage. There is no need to be afraid of stingrays, particularly the ones that frequent the stingray cities in various places.

 

My heart goes out to Terri and the children.

 

Wendy

 

It is great to hear from someone who has expertise in this area. We are booked in Grand Caymen for Stingray City. Our 8 year old daughter will be with us. I have to admit that I am now a bit nervous.

 

Our local news station stated that the type of stingray (a bull ray I believe) Steve Irwin was involved with was "one of the deadly types of stingrays". If this is the case, are the stingrays in Grand Caymen "one of the deadly types"? Or, as I suspect, all are deadly if the accident is just right.

 

Thanks for sharing your insights.

[MauiLvrs]

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/news/article.asp?newsid=846

[cruzegirl]

Thanks for the link.... Even though most of it we knew, it had excellent info./updates.... Thanks....

[w&k]

It is great to hear from someone who has expertise in this area. We are booked in Grand Caymen for Stingray City. Our 8 year old daughter will be with us. I have to admit that I am now a bit nervous.

 

Our local news station stated that the type of stingray (a bull ray I believe) Steve Irwin was involved with was "one of the deadly types of stingrays". If this is the case, are the stingrays in Grand Caymen "one of the deadly types"? Or, as I suspect, all are deadly if the accident is just right.

 

Thanks for sharing your insights.

 

Stingrays, like most sea creatures, are normally quite docile and usually only react when they feel threatened. Deadly is all in the perspective - humans are not a prey item for stingrays.

 

I've done the stingray trips several times, and have always had a lot of fun. Just be careful where you put your feet down, keep your fingers together, and you'll be just fine. The rays are looking for the people with food, and fingers can look like squid pieces. It really doesn't hurt to get a finger chomped, but it is certainly can be a suprise! On a dive in Grand Cayman, a ray saw our dive group, and swam right up to our divemaster - Casey from Neptune's divers. You could almost hear him say "Where's the squid?"

 

Diving in Belize a couple of years ago, I photographed a ray so big, I almost didn't believe it was real - about 8 feet in diameter. I saw him from above, and floated gently down to my fingertips in the sand in front of him, snapping away. He didn't even twitch. http://sports.webshots.com/photo/341288483/1341336079055701600rQPmFp

 

When the rest of the group joined up, he lifted gently from the sand, and moved off majestically. What a beautiful creature. http://sports.webshots.com/photo/341288483/1341337800055701600wldpTE

 

I've worked on the Indian River Lagoon (aka stingray heaven) for over 15 years, and our field teams have only had one stingray hit in all that time. One of our folks got poked through his bootie after he landed on a stingray when jumping off a boat, and a few minutes behind the motor took care of it (heat denatures the compound that produces the sting).

 

Thanks for the vote of confidence, and have a wonderful cruise!

 

Wendy

[madisonswims]

Hi Wendy,

 

Thanks for the additional information.

 

I looked at your picutures! Wow! The picture with the person in it sure does show how big he was!

 

Beautiful and amazing creatures...