CRIKEY! Death by stingray (Steve Irwin killed, RIP)

xpost

this has been getting funnier every time I read it

"It is possible for ray stings to be fatal if they sever major arteries, are in the pelvic or chest region (such as the fatal wound suffered by Steve Irwin), or are improperly treated."

OTM. Same mix of inevitability and tragi-comedy. Although, if the Grizzly dude had been killed by, say, a wolverine or a moose or something, the analogy would work even better.

Which is probably why. Don't have a sixth sense, it'll let you down in the end.

OTM. Same mix of inevitability and tragi-comedy.

Bullshit. Irwin wasn't mentally ill, or stupid. It was a freak accident. Maybe he took more risks than the average office worker but it's ridiculous to think he was anywhere near courting death.
Did a hell of a lot for wildlife conservation and awareness.

I think it's a very good thing that he was a self publicist. The more exposure conservation issues get, the better. So he ran a business at the same time? There are far worse businesses to run. And so he was a bit of a twat sometimes. Aren't we all.

Erk, I sound like CRW.

I found his shtick amusing the first time I encountered it, but never again after that.

'He's probably done more to change the Australian attitude of "Look! A Snake! Kill it! Is it dead? What sort was it?" then anyone else...'

RIP

SO WHO IS GONNA EMBARASS AUSTRALIA NOW? I think this is an opening for ESTEBAN BUTTEZ!!

Freak accident: Steve Irwin killed by stingray
Dead: Colin Thiele dies after illness
Army: More troops for Iraq - Nelson
Obesity warning: Children could die before parents
Petrol: Police say pay first then fill
Final fling: Resurrected Crows raring to go
Irwin: Dangerous career ends in tragedy
Show: Twin Flip to be investigated
Coroner: Fatal stabbing inquiry opens
Irwin death: Stingray barb likened to bayonet
Airline collapse: Ansett wages still unpaid
Medibank Private: Costello backs public float
Review call: New show ride laws 'a failure'
Welcome to Live Better '06
Syndrome: Women are always hungry

And I'm not making that last one up...

Justice!

Attacks on humans are a rarity - only one other person is known to have died in Australia from a stingray attack, at St Kilda, Melbourne in 1945.

The fuck? Attacks on humans are not at all a rarity, at least in Florida. 99% of the time it a sting to the foot when accidentally stepped on, or to the arm trying to remove one from your fishing line. Very very painful but rarely fatal.

I don't know the exact circumstances of the incident, but if Steve grabbed one from behind and pulled it toward his chest, that was extreme willful stupidity on his part. You keep the business end pointed AWAY from you.

From The Register.

http://www.stephenwong.com/albums/rays/Bull_Ray_01_2_meter_disc_020804.jpg

http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1072908911446_2004/01/02/3n_croc,0.jpg

Never!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/04/australia.irwin/index.html

Yay conflicting accounts. Its a conspiracy.

Seriously, this is sad news.

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/24/pwnirwingq8.gif

I really hate to admit that my first thought was that I'll now be thinking of Irwin whenever i hear Fred Schneider sing "here's comes a STINGRAY!" in "Rock Lobster"

Stupid stunts aside, if he did champion a lot of good causes, then this really sucks. I hope his widow and family keep that up now. :(

His energy and enthusiasm was infectious and was a refreshing change from tedious Attenborough narratives.

RIP

free ringtones from website

RIP, Crikeydude.

Both Steve Irwin and Timothy Treadwell knew what they were doing more than people give them credit for and knew the risks better than dumbfucks who cluelessly insist that their deaths were somehow inevitable. They were both really unlucky, especially Irwin, RIP.

OTM. I was amazed at his popularity at work today: EVERYONE knew about him, EVERYONE had seen one or more of his shows when nothing else was on (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the middle of the night) - his crocodile shows are the kind of thing National Geographic tends to repeat all the time - they also do that with mummies and sharks and tornadoes and submersibles, but only Steve was on screen all the time.

Andrew Denton: A lot of people see you as this...this larger than life Steve Irwin, in some ways a one-dimensional, almost cartoon character. But what they, perhaps, don't know is you've bought huge tracts of land in Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji, US. Why have you done that?

Steve Irwin: I'm a conservationist through and through, Andrew. That's, er...that's why I was put on this planet, um, for the benefit of wildlife and wilderness areas. That's what I'm into. That's what makes me pumped, mate. That's what myself and Terry and our families have been all about.

Andrew Denton: So what's this land for?

Steve Irwin: Um, it's like national parks, mate.
We... You know, easily the greatest threat to the wildlife globally is the destruction and annihilation of habitat. So I've gone, "Right, well, how do I fix that?”

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/enoughrope/transcripts/s960998.htm
The part about the buttons made me sad.

Justice in the world after all.

-- mr. brojangles (mikeoptin...), September 4th, 2006. (sanskrit) (later)

http://stevenirwin.ytmnd.com/

steve irwin was, unquestionably, an ULTIMATE BRO

You say ultimate bro, we say LEGEND.

http://img.4chan.org/b/res/12458185.html

The things he did in regards to conservation and animal protection are great. Steve Irwin himself usually came off as an insufferable arsehole whenever he was on our TV screens.

Also, probably coming to youtube. (which would be in bad taste)

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/09/05/1157222105248.html

That's fucking hardcore. RIP.

He campaigned for conservation and as mentioned above, purchased tracts of land to preserve habitat. This is great, but seeing as he was so progressive on this subject, I find it difficult to believe how he could be so damn politically naive. Didn't he realise that Howard and his cronies were partially responsible for environmental destruction? So, we should remember this before glorifying him.

Anyway, RIP. It is very sad and shocking. I think people are shocked by this because Irwin seemed almost invincible; he'd been in so many dangerous situations before, and it was always expected that he just knew how to escape from them.

Steve Irwin had such a profound impact on children that many parents believe his tragic death will be a landmark for kids in the way the deaths of John F Kennedy and Princess Diana were for adults.
Many younger Australians were grieving for the Crocodile Hunter as if they had lost a member of their own family, parents say.
"This guy has been in our lounge room for years," said one Sydney mother who has been consoling her tearful primary schooler since breaking the news the TV wildlife enthusiast had died after a stingray barb punctured his chest while filming off the Queensland coast.
She said her nine-year-old son Louis had repeatedly asked, "Is he really dead?" and then cried throughout the evening.
"He knows everything about the Crocodile Hunter, his wife Terri and their kids," said mother Maureen.
"It sounds corny, but he feels he does know the family.
"He has watched all the Crocodile Hunter DVDs again and again.
"He went to a school dress-up dance as the Crocodile Hunter, with little grubs sewn on his shirt.
"He wants to be a Crocodile Hunter when he grows up.
"He cried in the bath holding on to a toy crocodile.
"This is like JFK for kids, or Princess Diana - a young, popular person suddenly snatched away."
Daniel, 11, asked: "Why did it have to be Steve Irwin? Why couldn't it be someone older like Sean Connery?"....

"I feel like its still there but in a way it's not. I feel empty and cold and upset. I also feel scared qualities and scared because we dont know if another planet is going to be there any more." Taylor,8.

"I feel emptiness and loneliness and sad emotioins. It's been one of the planets for so many years and all of a sudden it isn't." William,8.

"I feel upset because I kind of felt like Pluto was my friend even though it was in space." Jonah,9.

Except I laughed til I hurt myself when Di died.

this is the most retarded thing i've ever read.

The Yanks may be in mourning, but we Britishers sure did love the guy too. Ah well. We've still got John Lydon as our premier wildlife presenter. ;-)

We haven't really. Sum total: One series on an obscure Freeview channel. I did see one episode, fine it was, but it was more entertainment than informative. (Alice loved him, naturally. John L, I mean.)

Greer has been OTM before, and will be again, but she shoulda kept her trap shut on this one. Especially after the poor bloke copped it.

Mind you, I think that's just about the only valid criticism she makes, and yeah, she might have waited a while before venting.

I am increasingly sad about this for some reason. He was suvh a fucking UP guy and thye're few and far between.

You can just imagine Irwin yelling: "Just look at these beauties! Crikey! With those barbs a stingray can kill a horse!" (Yes, Steve, but a stingray doesn't want to kill a horse. It eats crustaceans, for God's sake.)

making fun of a quote YOU JUST MADE UP = desperately unfunny

NO ONE REMEMBERS THE DEATH OF WOODROW? NOONE REMEMBERS HOW SIMON CRIED??? fucked up a nation of mid-80s pre-teens. turned us all into goths.

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/7372/simontownsend90kg3.jpg

Seriously, i think it's only right that i rip Greer's eyes out if i ever meet her because of this.

This morning we sat him down to tell him the news. He was quiet for a minute, then said, "If I hold my nose I can't blow out of it. Watch!" Ah well, we all mourn in our own way...

As you say, someone dies that you don't actually know is something like empathy that you learn later.

http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d46/psy/dev/fall00/Death/concept.html

(just google "children" and "concept of death")

making fun of a quote YOU JUST MADE UP = desperately unfunny

Absolutely, I was thinking exactly the same thing as I read it this morning.

neither was grizzly man but he wasn't a professional zookeeper/animal conservationist. He was just a nutter who had something akin to romantic love for grizzly bears and not the common sense or training that Irwin did.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/grizzly_man/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0427312/

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/again/archives/grizzlyman2.jpg

xpost duh

WERNER HERZOG WOULD HAVE KILLED THE STING RAY WITH A BARB OF BANALITY AND MANKIND'S CRUELTY

(also judging from his wikipedia page he had no formal education, just learned the family business. griz man taught himself by living with grizzles for 15 years.)

both were charismatic, daredevil, filmmaking conservationists who were killed by the dangerous animals that they got closer to than anyone else dared.

but yeah what treadwell did was more dangerous.

still wtf - obv parallel

(his love of john howard is loony)

Steve was eccentric but could function in normal society and happened to luck into being able to make a living off his obsession.

Grizzly guy clearly had major psychological problems and used his obsession as means of escaping them.

r.i.p. crocman, you did good things for animals and therefore i salute you

rest in peace.

"It's not the going in that causes the damage, it's the coming out where those deep serrations kind of pull on the flesh, and you end up with a very jagged tear which is quite a pronounced injury," said Dr Bryan Fry, deputy director of the Australian Venom Research Unit.

Is this to say that he may have lived if he hadn't have been so hardcore as to yank the barb out?

WHO WOULDA THUNK IT?

I can see what you're saying, but the price is that most people have no idea you're a conservation activist.

Seriously, we should have locked the thread right after this post.

xpost - he was awesome.

I am still somewhat perplexed by his manner of death, not from the "how can someone die like that?" angle, but rather from the "HOLY SHIT A STINGRAY BARB IN THE HEART?????" angle.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20356038-29277,00.html

Mind you, George Best got as good as a state funeral here - probably the most high-profile funeral outwith Diana and the Queen Mum in my lifetime, so it's not *that* unlikely, I guess, if he's that highly regarded. But is he? An Australian who isn't Esteban to explain, plz.

On Tuesday, Australia's federal parliament paused to honour Mr Irwin, whom Prime Minister John Howard said had died in "quintessentially Australian circumstances".

wouldn't that be falling down and hitting your head on a rock after too much lager? hahahahahaha, but i kid.

Elliot Smith would've pulled that fucker out and then stuck it back in.

The Guardian obit has him as a "television wildlife presenter", all but ignoring the work he did in education and conservationism, basically going for the "he's a wacky and inexplicably popular TV/film star" tack instead. Mind you they also let Germaine Greer loose on him in a vile manner (see upthread), so...

Yikes.

His wife was a snappy dresser, though. I'm sure she'll have no problem finding a replacement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldvKxVCaxaI

have to admit it had me pretty choked up by the end.

Yeah. Part of me thinks "yeah, cool, he's a national hero and an excellent ambassador for the country" and part of me thinks he's like the Hasslehoff of conservationism and WTF with the state funeral malarkey?

Mind you, George Best got as good as a state funeral here - probably the most high-profile funeral outwith Diana and the Queen Mum in my lifetime, so it's not *that* unlikely, I guess, if he's that highly regarded. But is he? An Australian who isn't Esteban to explain, plz.

State funerals here are usually given to former politicians or war veterans, and sometimes to well-known personalities who are deemed to have contributed to the country, like Kerry Packer. It's an honour, but not especially rare. Often it's a matter of enough public demand. AND some pretty vile and controversial people have received a state service in the past, like Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1734412.htm

Steve Irwin's father says he is determined to carry on his son's work.

Bob Irwin has spoken publicly for the first time since his son was killed by a stingray while diving off Port Douglas in far north Queensland two days ago.

Surrounded by media and those who had come to pay their respects, Mr Irwin held an impromptu press conference at Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast.

Hundreds of floral tributes and fan messages acted as a backdrop and family friend John Stainton was by his side.

Mr Irwin described how he was struggling to come to terms with his son's death.

He explained how he and his son had joked about death, but not taken unnecessary risks.

He said their relationship was as mates, rather than father and son.

"I'm a lucky, lucky guy that I've had the opportunity to have a son like Steve," he said.

Mr Irwin said the family had declined the offer of a state funeral.

He said his son would not have wanted a large funeral.

"The state funeral would be refused, because he's an ordinary guy, he's just an ordinary bloke," he said.

"He wants to be remembered as an ordinary bloke."

Mr Irwin also called on the media to respect the family's privacy.

He said his daughter-in-law Terri is coping as well as can be expected.

Besides, they might have to flog off The Big Rum Bottle and that's unacceptable.

I had to watch that youtube clip on mute because of fuckin Green Day.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y93/deathstar461/wtf/Photo_0004.jpg

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/irwins-diana-effect/2006/09/07/1157222250371.html

Steve Irwin's shocking death has stirred up hysteria comparable to the aftermath of Princess Diana's demise almost a decade ago.

Although the unglamorous Irwin would probably have yelled "Crikey!" at any link with the woman dubbed in death as England's Rose, the response from the public worldwide has been remarkably similar.

Both died unexpectedly in freakish accidents that received saturation media coverage.

Like Diana's death, the assassination of John F Kennedy or the murder of John Lennon, people can remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard Irwin had died on Monday.

Websites have been overwhelmed by people wanting to pay tribute to the Crocodile Hunter, while newspapers have enjoyed a spike in sales due to the public interest.

After spending most of his life risking death from snakebite or wrestling with crocodiles, Steve Irwin's demise was due to a fatal stab wound from a stingray's barb.

Amazingly, there is footage of his dying moments with debate ongoing over whether the film should ever be shown.

The public reacted to Diana's death by swamping London's royal palaces with flowers and other tributes.

The Irwin-owned Australia Zoo, north of Brisbane, has become a mecca for thousands of fans who have turned the entrance of the wildlife park into a massive floral memorial.

Irwin's family has been inundated with messages of support from around the world, particularly America where his death has dominated the news due to his immense popularity there.

Cultural studies lecturer Dr Karen Brooks said even though there was nothing in common between Irwin and Princess Diana, the reaction to their deaths had strong parallels.

"In Britain, they're calling Steve's death our Diana," the University of the Sunshine Coast academic and media commentator said.

"There's a sense in which the outpouring of grief and the shock has been very similar."

The Irwin family seem nonplussed at all the fuss over Steve, a man described by his grieving father Bob as just an ordinary bloke.

The Irwins have already turned down an offer of a state funeral.

Diana, killed in a Paris road crash in 1997, was farewelled at a Westminster Abbey service which featured Elton John performing a Diana-ised version of Candle In The Wind.

There's been talk of a memorial service at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium for Steve Irwin, but hopefully no bright spark will suggest enlisting Sir Elton to sing Crocodile Rock if that event goes ahead.

so fucking otm.

Now this is a USC I can accept.

which american said that?

Goodbye Australia's Noah
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the mate that placed himself
Where crocs were thought apart

You yelled out to our country
And you whispered to those animals in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name

{Refrain}
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a warrior in the wind
Never fading with the sunset when the tide came in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along Australia’s dusty hills
Your Flame’s burned out long before
Your legend ever will

Manliness we've lost
These empty days without your smile
This torch we'll always carry
For our nation's reptile park child

And even though we cry “Crikey!
The truth brings us to tears
All our words cannot express
The joy you brought us through the years

{Refrain}

Goodbye Australia's Noah
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the Mate that placed Himself
Where animals were thought apart

Goodbye Australia's Noah
From a country lost without your soul
Who'll miss the wings of your conservation
More than you'll ever know

R.I.P Steve Irwin 1962-2006

This is the funniest thing I've read on this thread since "ha bloddy ha"!

(What'll they do when Barry Humphries dies? National dress like Dame Edna day?)

This is easily the bigger national tragedy for Australia :-(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Brock

Brock developed an interest in New Age-style spirituality through practitioner Eric Dowker. Brock began publicly supporting, and eventually began to fit to HDT specials, a device called the "Energy Polarizer", containing strong permanent magnets, which, it was claimed, improved the performance and handling of vehicles through "aligning the molecules". The overwhelming majority of the Australian motoring community regarded the device as pseudoscience.[1] Brock also recommended tyre pressures of 22psi (150kPa) for his polariser-equipped vehicles, a level which many regarded as near-dangerously low. Holden, fearing the consequences of being associated with the device, cut ties with Brock and set up an alternative racing/modification operation, Holden Special Vehicles.

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - Up to 10 stingrays have been found dead and mutilated on Australia's eastern coast since "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin was killed by one of the animals last week, an official said Tuesday, prompting concerns of revenge attacks on the normally docile fish.

The popular television star was killed last week when a stingray barb pierced his chest as he filmed a TV show off Australia's Great Barrier Reef, prompting an outpouring of grief in Australia and among his fans worldwide.

The dead stingrays have been discovered on two beaches in Queensland state, including two that were found Tuesday with their tails lopped off, state fisheries department official Wayne Sumpton said.

Sumpton said fishermen who inadvertently catch the diamond-shaped rays sometimes cut off their tails to avoid being stung, but the practice was uncommon.

Michael Hornby, the executive director of Irwin's conservation group Wildlife Warriors, said he was concerned the rays were being hunted and killed in retaliation for the TV star's death.

"We just want to make it very clear that we will not accept and not stand for anyone who's taken a form of retribution. That's the last thing Steve would want," he said.

"I hope everyone understands we have to protect wildlife now more than ever. This is what Steve was all about."

Stingrays are usually shy, unobtrusive fish that rummage the sea bottom for food or burrow into the sand. When stepped on or otherwise frightened, a serrated spine up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) long in the animal's tail flares up.

The spines emit toxins that can kill many small creatures and that cause excruciating pain in humans. Few people die from the poison, but the spines can badly tear flesh and the wounds are prone to infections, including tetanus.

Oh wait, message coming through from Steve Irwin, from beyond the grave:

"Mate! Don't do it! It was my fault, the ray didn't see me and thought I was a hostile interloper mate. Leave them! Let the Stingrays go, they are innocent. Mate... Mate... mate..."

http://www.steakandcheese.com/content/homepage/steve-irwin-death-pictures.asp

Heh, and I'm not just talking about the guy getting stuck in the chest by a stingray.

Kudos to Stingrayxploitation cinema.

http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2006/10/toonirwinSPL_350x450.jpg

At least it keeps them off the streets.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/3065/3yfi5c6fg6.jpg

CRIKEY http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/20/stingray/index.html

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/photo/2008-03/36972908.jpg

too soon

The spotted eagle ray weighed about 75 pounds, said Becky Herrin, a spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

The species, also called a leopard ray or bonnet skate, can measure up to 8 feet in length, with an 8-foot tail, and weigh up to 500 pounds, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History's Web site.

They tend to swim close to the surface and can leap out of the water when being pursued, according to the site.

^^^all of this information is kinda incredible/terrifying

http://216.166.86.110/familydigestshow/images/Photo%20Caption%20-%20The%20One%20Minute%20Dad%20swimming%20with%20his%20children%20and%20a%20very%20large%20Stingray%21.JPG
http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/3268879.jpg%3Fv%3D1%26c%3DViewImages%26k%3D2%26d%3D10276273D480F6D86F05BE1C7FF940D5A55A1E4F32AD3138