Crikey, Steve Irwin! RIP
Killed by a stingray barb to the heart. A freak accident - it's like the second or third stingray death in Australia ever.
Other Irwin quotes:
"I bled a lot. I got hit across the face. We couldn't film for seven days. I got hit, whacked, underwater, across the face. I finished the shot, got into the boat and blood started coming out."
"But I put my life on the line to save animals. "
"Every cent we earn from Crocodile Hunter goes straight back into conservation. Every single cent."
"I have no fear of losing my life - if I have to save a koala or a crocodile or a kangaroo or a snake, mate, I will save it."
(Irwin cried when a croc he saved ends up dying)
"Because when they strike it can be that quick that if they're within range, you're dead, you're dead in your tracks. And his head weighs more than my body so it's WHACK! "
"My field is with apex predators, hence your crocodiles, your snakes, your spiders....So, my tactic with conservation of apex predators is to get people excited and take them to where they live."
It just seems so random. I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been a crocodile, or even a giant snake ("This is the bitey end!"). He was an educator and biologist, a showman to be sure, but someone with a deep passion for sharing what he learned with kids. Maybe he was a little crazy, but he's definitely someone who will be missed.
I'm actually a little startled at how much I care.