Crocodile Hunter's Last Moments Captured On Video

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Main Category: Public Health
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 05 Sep 2006 - 10:00 PDT


Steve Irwin's last moments, when he was fatally injured by a stingray, were captured on video, said his manager, John Stanton. A copy of the footage has been handed over to the state coroner, who will begin an examination today.

John Stanton said, "It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest). He pulled it out and the next minute he's gone. The cameraman had to shut down. He always pushed himself to the very limits but I thought he was invulnerable and I think he did too. It's a very hard thing to watch because you're actually witnessing somebody die - it's terrible."

John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia, said in parliament, "He was a genuine, one-off remarkable Australian individual and I am distressed at his death."

It is a sad irony that Steve Irwin, a man who has confronted some of the most dangerous animals in the world, was killed by a stingray, a generally passive creature.

An initial post-mortem examination confirmed that Steve was fatally wounded by a stingray's venomous (poisonous) barb, that pierced his heart. A police spokesperson told a packed press conference that Steve's death was the result of an extremely rare accident. He said "We're not going into the detail, but there's definitely no surprises. Everyone knows how he died."

-- Steve Irwin's Biography (Wikipedia)

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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