"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.

Stingrays have a serrated, toxin-loaded barb, or spine, on the top of their tail. The barb, which can be up to 10 inches long, flexes if a ray is frightened. Stings usually occur to people when they step on or swim too close to a ray and can be excruciatingly painful but are rarely fatal, said University of Queensland marine neuroscientist Shaun Collin.

Collin said he suspected Irwin died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart.



Talk about instakill... nerf stingrays?

Not funny. Not funny in the slightest, Sarin.

At least he died doing what he loved.

And as much as its really bad taste...I just can't resist.

"Crikey! Did you see that he went straight for my chest with the ... oh f..."

Actually, I do think it is funny. I started laughing when I read that. It's not "politically correct", but it's funny.

I never knew stingray barbs were like that. I always just assumed they were somewhat like nettles/man'o'war stings. Sheesh. :/

EDIT: I guess that means he would, as the thing said, have died quickly though. Worse ways to go.

As someone mentioned in a news broadcast, the sadest thing is that his death by a wild animal will likely stir fear and some amount of demonizing of the animal. He wouldn't want that at all.

My life is now over.

He died doing what he loved. I think it would just feel wrong if he went any other way. He'll be missed.

Actually, sad as it is to say, as somebody pointed out on another forum, I think he'd much have prefered to die of old age and good health, in his sleep, and to have seen his children grow up. His death is more ironic than anything else.

I think most people would want to go this way rather than doing what they loved. I'm sure Estarra and Roark would like to die retired of old age while sleeping rather than have a stroke in the middle of an envoy summit.

I am going to miss the fellow, although I really don't know him other than some specific appearances--never fully watched one of his shows.

And even worse.. he didn't even die to an aggressive animal that was actually trying to kill him. I mean, he goes face-to-face with crocs and deadly snakes and everything else that kill people on a regular basis... and then he dies to a stingray?

I mean.. damn. At least if he died defending the camera man from a great white or something, he could at least march up to those pearly gates with a bit of pride

You think any insurance agencies actually covered him with all that he's done?

I was watching the news last night and heard about this! I couldn't believe it was true.. I love the crocodile hunter

I'm actually pretty glad it wasn't by a crocodile, or else all his work would have gone to waste if everyone just started be go, "NERF CROCS!" because they start to be afraid.

No, we'd be like, "Kill Blooredi!"

Crocs are nasty buggers. It wouldn't have been surprising.

Though I still remember that love story about the croc who fell for a light airplane a few years ago up north.... *daydream*

I just heard about this on a Canadian news broadcast station how sad but atleast he did die doing what he loved he was filming a under water documentery about the coral reef if I heard corectly

This makes me so sad. I loved Steve Irwin .

But yes, it is really nice that he at least died while doing something he really loved/devoted his life too, even though it is a terrible way to go...I guess it's better than being in a car accident or something :/.

My only annoyance is how people are like shocked he died. I get it's surprising, but how surprising is it? The man did insanely dangerous things, and he knows that. We know that. It's sad he's dead, and in a lot of ways it's a bit surprising how he died, but not that he did.

It's sad, and he will be missed.

Yeah, he was swimming over the stingray, when all of a sudden, it stopped, turned around, and jabbed him in the heart. Ironic death really, especially considering MSN news just said stingray deaths are rare, and there have only ever been two reported stingray deaths in Australia ever.

Really a pity, as he's got a wife, two small children, and he did a lot more for nature than just have a crazy TV show.

Yes... guy spends his whole life doing stupidly dangerous stunts near crocodiles and sharks, and in the end, dies from stepping onto a stingray. How anticlimatic.