Tragic Loss of Steve Irwin, 44

Steve Irwin, the Australian television personality and conservationist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44.
Irwin was at Batt Reef, off the remote coast of northeastern Queensland state, shooting a segment for a series called "Ocean's Deadliest" when he swam too close to one of the stingrays, which have a poisonous barb on their tails, said his colleague, John Stainton.
"He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat at the time.
Crew members aboard the boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation as they rushed Irwin to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical workers pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later.

Irwin, who was was born in Victoria in 1962, inherited his love of reptiles from his father.His father Bob was a keen reptile enthusiast and moved the family to Queensland in 1970 to open a small reptile park on the Sunshine Coast. Irwin took over the family business in 1991 and grew it into Australia Zoo. In 1992 he ventured into television, making the first series of the Crocodile Hunter. When the program aired in the United States, he shot to international fame. Irwin is survived by his wife Terri, daughter Bindi Sue (8) and son Bob (2).

Steve Irwin is the best-known wildlife crusader in the world today. As the Crocodile Hunter, Steve has become a household name and his television adventures are seen by more than 200 million viewers in 120 countries around the globe. He's starred in his first movie for the big screen, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course, and has also appeared on such popular television talk shows as Regis and Kelly, Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live and Oprah.

Steve Irwin

1962-2006

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