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| 7/8 |
| 2006/9/4-5 [Politics/Foreign/Europe] UID:44264 Activity:kinda low |
9/4 RIP steve irwin. crikey!
\_ You know, somehow, I'm not too surprised, though I'm pretty sad
about it. He was a likeable character. Likeable and crazy.
\_ http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/04/australia.irwin
--Jon
\_ sad. all the scary stunt he has done, he was killed by an
otherwise harmless stingray.
\_ What do you mean harmless...stringrays are known
to be poisonous.
\_ They are not commonly known to be deadly. He was only the 3rd
known fatality from stingrays in Australia.
\_ "... 3rd known fatality ..." Thinkaboutit!
\_ It wasn't the poison, it was the sting piercing his heart:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5314918.stm
\_ I wonder if after being around so many more deadly animals, he
was just a little *too* comfortable around a less dangerous one.
\_ From what I read, it was just a freak accident. That they
werent focussing on stingrays but they swam over one that they
didn't know was there (Irwin and his cameraman).
\_ "Officials offered Irwin's grieving family a state funeral ..."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060905/people_nm/australia_irwin_dc_12
State funeral? He's that important of a figure in Australia? Not
even the Queen Mother of the UK got a state funeral. (Not that she
was nice or anything.) |
| 7/8 |
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| www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/04/australia.irwin -> www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/09/04/australia.irwin/ Most Popular Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Adjust font size: Decrease font Decrease font Enlarge font Enlarge font SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Steve Irwin, the TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung by a stingray in a marine accident off Australia's north coast. Media reports say Irwin was diving in waters off Port Douglas, north of Cairns, when the incident happened on Monday morning. Irwin, 44 was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to Cairns police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time. Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality Monday morning off Port Douglas, according to Australian media. Watch scenes of Irwin, known for his his enthusiasm, support for conservation -- 2:49) Queensland Police Services also confirmed Irwin's death and said his family had been notified. He is survived by his American-born wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue, born 1998, and Robert (Bob), born December 2003. Irwin became a popular figure on Australian and international television through Irwin's close handling of wildlife, most notably the capture and relocation of crocodiles. Irwin's enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a global following. He was known for his exuberance and use of the catch phrase "Crikey!" But his image suffered a setback in January 2004 when he held his then 1-month-old baby Bob while feeding a crocodile at his Australian zoo. Full story) In a statement released to Australian media, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed his sorrow and said that he was fond of Irwin and was very appreciative of all the work he had done in promoting Australia overseas. "When I see what's happened all over the world, they're looking at me as this very popular, wildlife warrior Australian bloke," he said, the ABC reported. "And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing. |
| news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5314918.stm Irwin with crocodiles Videotape of the moment Steve Irwin was hit by a stingray's tail shows the Australian naturalist pulling the barb from his chest, his manager has said. Queensland state police have now taken the tape to be used in an inquest into the incident on the Great Barrier Reef. The much-loved TV star could be given a state funeral if his family agree. Throughout Monday and Tuesday thousands of fans gathered at Mr Irwin's zoo in Beerwah on Australia's sunshine coast to lay flowers and write messages of condolence. On Tuesday, Australia's federal parliament paused to honour Mr Irwin, whom Prime Minister John Howard said had died in "quintessentially Australian circumstances". Mourning in pictures Mr Howard quoted Australian-based actor Russell Crowe, who had paid tribute to Mr Irwin earlier by saying: "Steve Irwin was the Australian many of us aspire to be." Mr Irwin had been in the water at Batt Reef, off the resort town of Port Douglas about 100km (62 miles) north of Cairns, filming bull stingrays for a TV documentary called Ocean's Deadliest. "He was up in the shallow water, probably 15m to 2m deep, following a bull ray which was about a metre across the body - probably weighing about 100kg, and it had quite a large spine," Mr Cropp told The Australian newspaper. Copyright Science Photo Library Members of the Dasyatidae family of cartilaginous fish, with about 70 species worldwide Mostly found in tropical seas, but exist in freshwater too Feed primarily on molluscs and crustaceans on sea floor Swim with flying motion using large pectoral wings Usually docile, not known to attack aggressively Equipped with venom-coated razor-sharp barbed or serrated tail, up to 20cm long "It stopped and went into a defensive mode and swung its tail with the spike. It probably felt threatened because Steve was alongside and there was the cameraman ahead, and it felt there was danger and it baulked." Though armed with a venom-coated, sharp barb on their tail, stingrays only use the weapon defensively and attacks on humans are extremely rare. Appearing on ABC News, Mr Stainton, who was with the TV crew on the reef, described watching the footage of the incident as a "terrible" experience. "It was a hard thing to watch because you are actually watching a person die," Mr Stainton said. Mr Irwin's heart is believed to have been pierced, and he died almost immediately. Websites overwhelmed Mr Irwin's body has now been flown from the mortuary in Cairns, where a post-mortem examination was carried out, to the small town of Beerwah where he lived. Obituary: Wildlife showman The TV presenter is survived by his wife Terri and two children - eight-year-old daughter Bindi Sue and three-year-old son Bob. No funeral arrangements have been announced yet, but Queensland State Premier Peter Beattie said Mr Irwin would be given a state funeral if his family approved. Mr Irwin was regarded by many Australians as a national treasure and as news of his death broke, news websites across the country found it difficult to cope with the demand for information. Tributes flowed in from Mr Irwin's fellow conservationists and his many fans around the world, and across the country on Tuesday the morning papers devoted their front pages to news of his death. |
| news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060905/people_nm/australia_irwin_dc_12 Reuters Irwin pulled barb out of chest before death By Paul Tait Tue Sep 5, 10:08 AM ET SYDNEY (Reuters) - Fatally injured "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin pulled a stingray's serrated barb from his chest before he lost consciousness and died, his manager said on Tuesday as fans worldwide mourned the exuberant naturalist. WnmfDxJJQBRF78C/Y=YAHOO /EXP=1157490955/A=3720707/R=0/*&ord=1157483755612449 Hundreds of fans placed flowers outside his Australia Zoo in Queensland state and wrote messages on khaki shirts, part of his trademark uniform, as Irwin's body was flown home after Monday's freak diving accident off Australia's northeast coast. Officials offered Irwin's grieving family a state funeral while news of his death on the Great Barrier Reef clogged Internet news sites and ground some Web sites to a halt. Police have been handed footage taken as Irwin, 44, filmed what was to be his last documentary. It shows him swimming above a stingray when it lashed out and speared him in the heart with its barbed tail, manager John Stainton told reporters. "He pulled it out and the next minute he's gone," he said. It's a very hard thing to watch because you're actually witnessing somebody die ... Police said it appeared Irwin was just watching the ray. "There is no evidence that Mr Irwin was intimidating or threatening the stingray," Queensland police spokesman Mike Keating told reporters. Marine experts say stingrays can deliver horrific, agonizing injuries from the toxin-laden barbs, which can measure up to 20 cm (8 in) in length and cause injuries like a knife or bayonet. "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. FLIRT WITH DEATH Australian Prime Minister John Howard interrupted parliament on Tuesday to pay tribute. "He was a genuine, one-off, remarkable Australian individual and I am distressed at his death," Howard told parliament. "We mourn his loss, we're devastated by the tragic circumstances in which he has been taken from us and we send our love and prayers to his grieving family," he said. Film star Russell Crowe praised Irwin as the "ultimate wildlife warrior." Irwin's zoo kept its gates open Tuesday despite his death. "He would have been kicking our butts if we decided to close the zoo. It's a great chance for people to go in and see his crocodiles, see what he loved," zoo worker Louise Martin said. Environmental documentary maker Ben Cropp said Irwin was swimming alongside a bull stingray, probably weighing around 100 kg (220 lb). Stingrays are normally placid and only attack in self-defense. But Irwin's cameraman was filming in front of it and it probably became frightened and lashed out. Stainton said the cameraman only became aware of the attack when he noticed Irwin bleeding. Millions had seen Irwin flirt with death many times as he stalked and played with crocodiles, sharks, snakes and spiders. Stainton said he was struggling to come to terms with the fact that a stingray had killed his friend. Known for his catchphrase "Crikey" during close encounters with animals, Irwin made almost 50 documentaries which appeared on the cable TV channel Animal Planet. US-based television company Discovery Communications, which produces Animal Planet, said it would set up a conservation fund in honor of Irwin. It said the footage of Irwin's fatal dive might never be broadcast. Irwin's documentaries attracted a global audience of some 200 million people, many of them in the United States, and fans from Guam to Glasgow jammed Web sites and news blogs. Many asked how they were to explain Irwin's death to their children. "Why did it have to be Steve Irwin," 11-year-old Daniel told Australian Associated Press. Contemporary Fashion Jewelry and Gifts Beautiful and creative pearl, semi-precious gems and crochet jewelry at great prices. Handmade and most come in limited quantities to make the items even more unique. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. |