I didn't beleive this when I first heard it.I alwasy thoguth it was a very funny man.But he did die doing what he loved the most.

What the hell are you talking about? All the guy did was fuck around with dangerous animals! He got killed by one! I'm not gonna mourn a complete stranger's death for doing stupid shit all the time.

And to be honest, you people wouldn't even fuckin' know about this if he wasn't a "celebrity". What if it was just some regular dude you read about it happening to in the newspaper? Would we have a RIP thread? No way, we'd have it in True Crime and we'd all be making fun of it.

Gimme a break.

It's sad when celebrities die.

:(

I looked up info on stingrays after I heard about this and what I found was that most people get nailed by a stingray if they accidently step on one or swim too close above one. So I doubt that he was fucking with it, he must have just swam too close and the thing freaked out and stung him. It didn't know he meant no harm. Such a sad thing, but as others have said, at least he died doing what he loved.

And I don't think anyone is sad about his death because he was a celebrity. In fact, I think he was a celebrity for the same reason MOST of us feel bad for the world losing him. I think he was a great man and did his best to do good things and get his message out in a way people would remember it.

Crikey, strewth, bloody hell mate,

No i'm not taking the mick, i am a fair dinkum, true blue aussie "bloke". Steve was the closest thing that we will ever have to a real-life "Michael J. Crocodile Dundee". To me he epitomised the dying aussie "bloke" with his mannerisms and ockerisms. I am of the opinion that if you mess with any animal, eventually it is going to get agitated when you least expect it, and strike back, especially if you disturb it in it's environment.
I thought he was a funny, real down to earth guy. The kind of guy that you would meet at the pub, instantly like, and you would buy him a beer. I applaud what he did for conservation, as we need more people like him, fighting to save it. Not just here but around the world

R.I.P Steve Irwin

You're right. Because I'm not going to feign sympathy for someone who I always thought was a complete idiot. Saying "He was a great man" is just stupid, none of you know the guy. You saw him on TV jumpin' around with alligators and poisonous snakes and you say "Whoah, that was fuckin' crazy." Now he's dead and you're saying, "Oh, he's done so much for the world, he's taught us so much."

Blauugghhhhhh

You're entitled to your opinion, but try just not saying anything more, cuz you sound like an asshole. And if I wanted to listen to an asshole, I'd fart. But he has done a LOT for conservation efforts, that's why people think he's done a lot for the world. At least he tried. That's more than most of us can say.

Oh, and try decaf, just an idea.

Sorry, but I am an asshole, that's why i sound like one. And we are entitled to our opinions, so let's just agree to disagree. Sorry I called your statement "dumb".

No coffee in me, I just really feel strongly against people pretending to care about something... when I see so many posts saying "he will be missed" and "what a great guy" when I know most people don't mean it. I guess I'm not so much arguing for anti-Steve Irwin, I'm arguing against phony sincerity.

Crikeys! I've always enjoyed getting stoned and watching that crazy bugga chase a venomous snake across a stream and up a tree.


He'll be missed but he will live on forever in rerun limbo.

Well, I gotta give ya credit for saying that. At least you're honest and that cracked me up. :)

And you're right, we should just agree to disagree. I can't speak for anyone else, but I honestly do feel bad that he's gone, and I believe others do too. No phony sincerity here. I don't have to literally know someone to feel bad when they die. I just hope that what he worked for doesn't die along with him.

IA75...I'll attempt to explain my point of view on this one because I think you misunderstand the concern some people might have over this matter.
It was a dangerous proffession, he knew it, and he absolutely let everyone who watched know it. His antics may have seemed a little over the top, his "persona" a little hmm...crazy...but as I said before, I believe that this was for the kids...what better way to pass on a message to early learners than to more or less turn yourself into something akin to a cartoon character.
He was a passionate, excitable guy...true, but if that's the only depth you saw in him, then I trust you've never seen anything outside of his shows, such as speaking on wildlife and animal conservation, the environment, poaching, overgrazing, and over-salinity, endangered species,among many other things. The guy knew what he was talking about. To call him an "idiot" based solely on what you've seen in front of a camera is a little judgemental - He wasn't just some jackass running around fucking with animals. He was hugely environmentalist and passionate about conservation in not only his own country, but others as well.
His accomplishments off-camera, I think you'll find (if you care to) far exceed his "celebrity" status...the amount of charity work for the causes he believed in was huge.
How many celebrities actually change the world for the better, and give us, the animals, and the planet something more than mere entertainment? Like I said, to me it's not at all about him being a celebrity.
Of course, his popularity is what bought these events to our attention more, that I cannot deny.
I didn't know him, I knew only of his deeds...and that's what I'm going on, not that I'm some crazy fanboy, I'm anything but. You'll notice I've not "feigned sympathy" in any of my posts...I know his family is definately well taken care of, and I for one couldn't give half a shit if I ever see one of his shows again...although have to say I think that's a huge loss for kids. Personally I'm a little insulted that you seem to be insinuating that anyone who acknowledges what a huge loss this is (again, to more than just entertainment value) is an idiot just because you yourself don't share their point of view.

I think the main point here is it's kind of uncool to bring up negativity at this time...a little like rocking up to someones funeral you knew very little about and laughing, saying "who gives a shit, he was just a fuckwit anyway"...I guess in short, mind your manners, son.

Anyway, that's my point...not really going to bother with anything further on this thread, I'd like to avoid any involvement of myself in this thread (hopefully not) turning into a joke.

I don't think this thread contains much phony sincerity, since the tributes for Steve Irwin are tipping the hat to his naturalist campaigns - it is perfectly understandable that his (once) unique delivery on TV is met with fond memory since he came across as a genuine and dedicated person while daring to get so 'hands on' with dangerous animals. Would celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay have ever got so big on TV without his "Fuck!" angle?

Over the years, this 'intrusion' into lethal wildlife has become commonplace and even reckless - but Irwin was always making insight and education the priority over exploitation (debate that if you want). It can't be helped if his manner proved endearing to millions, and that it seems sad when a man dies and a link between animals most of us won't ever set eyes upon is gone forever.

I like conservationists, and his passing is a loss to the planet.

There is further information on the circumstances surrounding his death here:-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin#_note-0

well he was filming a doco, you would think he might have done his research a little better and kept his distance. but if you are going to torment creatures all your life, then sure, one day they will bite back.

I was bored of this story after ten minutes, but as an australian, I have to keep hereing about it, even here, which is sad. mass quantitys of innocent people die every day in pointless wars, but we don't see that posted here?

Do the research. You can get hurt, but 17 people in recorded history have died in this manner. its hardly in the top 10 list of dangers in the ocean. And they bit him back constantly. its funny that people are talking about this like he had no idea that animals were dangerous...

as was stated earlier:
it was a freak accident.
people liked him because he was a celebrity, but also because he gave a shit about something. he didnt whine uselessly about tibet or human rights and then do nothing, he was an active participant in his agenda.
he could be irritating, yes, but he was a good guy. do you think they would do the same thing if this happened to Jeff Corwin? no, because he is a jackass with no redeaming qualities.

it kills me that epopel have been talkign about this like he was some clueless retard that went around poking animals with a pointy stick until they lunged at him. he was an expert. people could call me stupid and reckless on a very different level for going through a computer's registry and manually chinging keys, or deleting files from the system32 folder (i know, compplete nerd reference, but apt) which is pretty dangerous for the operating ssystem, and it has bitten me in the ass in the past, but i know the risks and I know what im doing because i am a professional that has been doing it for years.

There's a difference between a celebrity and a public icon. Take Jane Goodall for example. She, while not having her own tv shows, is on the same line. She is an environmentalist and a conservationalist. She perfers to work with chimps. When she dies, I'll definitely feel as deep a loss, because of the way that I feel about the evironment. I know you hate him, but Bono, who just happens to actually be a celebrity is also another one.

It's not the person, per-se, it's the work that they do and the message that they send. So if someone who dedicates their life to making the planet a more beautiful place by understanding nature or arousing the compassion of human beings for other human beings, fuckin-a yeah, I'm going to say that we've lost a good person.

But that wasn't my point...

My point was that everybody who had posted up until... had posted their remorse. Don't you think it was a little out of place, a little disrepectful to everyone in the thread to interject a random blurb of nastiness into a thread of people showing sorrow for someone they respected? I know that we do shit like that here all of the time, but there's something about mourning a person's passing that makes it a little more personal and leaves less room for being disrespectful.

My other point was, no, I don't expect anyone to mourn or even care about the loss of someon they don't know personally. However, I would have thought that you would have had the smarts to say to yourself, "Maybe I shouldn't say that at this point, because it seems that people are really affected by this."

you know why there are so little amount of cases reported, because people don't fuck with them. he swam over the top of it and it felt threatend

I know it will always happen, but I was seriously shocked at just how quickly people were making jokes about it on the net etc. Within minutes of it being put onto the BBC news website, I had people trying to paste me jokes from various websites (I wont mention but you can probably guess).

I think its really sad that people do that, actually I think its pretty disgusting. Some people might think of a joke about something like this, but they would keep it to themselves and know it was harsh to even think of it, but the people that think of it, and then tell it online or create pictures etc of it worries me about our society...

true. perhaps he didnt know it was there.... they are great camoflauge artists. Plus, is someone who gets bitten by say, a brown recluse or funnelweb a jackass for pissing it off, if they didnt know it was there? Everyone Knows they are dangerous animals that can kill you, so they should have been onguard all the time?

Sounds a bit unrealistic.

obviously he knew it was there. that doesn't mean swimming over the top it wouldn't piss it off. besides, he's been pissing of crocs for years, maybe one of them sent it a soundwave?

My opinion aint swayed... but I'll drop it because everyone's so adamant on the topic.

So I forfeit.

And you base this on what?

Show me objective proof and i'll drop it.

Thank you. See, you're not such an asshole! :D

Shut up, ya stupid idiot.

:D :p

Well, I stand corrected. :p

he was entertaining I loved watching chris catan inmate him in SNL. I hope he has a great afterlife.

I found this article and thought it was really good, so I'm posting it for those who would like to read it. It gives a few more details about what may have caused the accident further down in the article.

2006/9/6
CAIRNS, Australia, AP

Dramatic videotape of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin's last moments shows him pulling from his chest the poisonous stingray barb that killed him, officials said Tuesday, as tributes poured in for the beloved naturalist famed for getting dangerously close to deadly beasts.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances in the death of Irwin, who was stabbed in the chest on Monday while snorkeling with a stingray while filming a television program on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and no evidence he provoked the animal.

John Stainton, Irwin's manager who was among the television crew on the reef, said the fatal blow that struck the presenter and conservationist was caught on videotape, and described viewing the footage as having the "terrible" experience of watching a friend die.

"It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone," Stainton told reporters in Cairns, where Irwin's body was taken for an autopsy.

The tape of the death of the man known by TV audiences worldwide for his infectious enthusiasm in the series "The Crocodile Hunter" was secured by Queensland state police as evidence for a coroner's inquiry -- a standard procedure in high-profile deaths or those caused by other than natural causes.

Irwin, 44, was shooting footage for a project he was making with daughter Bindi, 8, for airing next year in the United States when he was fatally stung off the north Queensland coast.

Late Tuesday, his body was returned to the Sunshine Coast, where his American wife Terri, Bindi and their son, Bob, almost 3, were keeping a low profile at their home near Australia Zoo, Irwin's wildlife park. No funeral plans were announced, though Queensland Premier Pete Beattie said he would get a state funeral if the family agreed to it.

Australia's Parliament interrupted its normal scheduled so leaders could pay tribute to Irwin.

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

"He was not only a great Aussie bloke, he was determined to instill his passion for the environment and its inhabitants in everybody he met," Opposition leader Kim Beazley said.

Australia Zoo was open Tuesday -- staff said it was what he would've wanted -- but the mood was somber and most visitors were to a makeshift shrine of bouquets and handwritten condolence messages that emerged at the gate.

"Mate, you made the world a better place," read one poster left at the gate. "Steve, our hero, our legend, our wildlife warrior," read another. Khaki shirts -- a trademark of Irwin -- were laid out for people to sign.

Stingray experts have speculated that the animal that killed Irwin -- who rose to fame by getting dangerously close to crocodiles, snakes and other beasts -- probably felt trapped between the cameraman and the television star.

Queensland Police Superintendent Michael Keating said there was no evidence Irwin threatened or intimidated the stingray, a normally placid species that only deploys its poisonous tail spines as a defense.

Stainton said Irwin was in his element in bushland, but the sea posed threats the star wasn't used to.

"If ever he was going to go, we always said it was going to be the ocean," Stainton said. "On land he was agile, quick-thinking, quick-moving and the ocean puts another element there that you have no control over."

Irwin was propelled to global fame after his TV shows were shown around world on the Discovery Channel, which announced plans for a marathon screening of Irwin's work and a wildlife fund in his name.

Experts differed on the number of human deaths caused by stingrays -- from up to 17 to just 3 -- though they agreed that they were extremely rare.

Australian news Web sites reported being choked by heavy traffic seeking news on Irwin, newspapers devoted their front and several inside pages to the story and some of Irwin's high-profile friends expressed their sadness.

"He was and remains the ultimate wildlife warrior," said Oscar-winner Russell Crowe, who appeared with Irwin recently on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." "He touched my heart, I believed in him, I'll miss him. I loved him and I'll be there for his family," Crowe said in New York, Australian media reported.

The U.S. Embassy in Canberra said in a statement its staff mourned the death of Irwin, describing him as an unofficial Australian ambassador to the United States who "represented those things our citizens find most appealing about Australia."

I really thought it was a joke when I first read it.Who would have thought after all the crocs he's dealt with he would get done in my a damn stingray.RIP Steve.

His manager is now saying he did not actually pull the barb from his chest, the stingray stuck him, swam off, and Steve rolled over and floated. He was killed instantly is what the last word on it was. Jeac Cousteau's grandson was in the boat when he was killed too.

For what it's worth IA75 I have to back you on this one. I hate that he was killed, a death is always horrible and the family and friends left behind suffer tremendous pain dealing with the loss.
BUT, you make a living messing around with animals, reptiles, etc that can kill you in the blink of an eye and eventually your number is going to come up. It was just a matter of time before he fucked around and got himself killed. I'm surprised he didn't tone it down some after his kids were born so he would be around for them growing up. But he continued his crazy act and it got him killed.......so in a sense he was a dumb ass, he had to know one day his reflexes would fail him, nature surrounding him would put him in a deadly position, SOMETHING was going to go terribly wrong and it did and he's dead. I don't think it was worth your kids growing up without their Dad because he took foolish risks.....that's just my 2 cents worth :(