Steve Irwin, everyone’s favorite crocodile hunter, would be celebrating his birthday this week if he were still with us.
We remember the wildlife expert today, and the man who had the world uttering “Crikey” for many years, on what would be his 50th birthday.
The public got their first dose of the lovable Aussie, Irwin from the series, The Crocodile Hunter, in which he co-hosted with his wife Terri, who’s originally from Oregon.
The show became a huge hit as families and friends tuned in to watch each week as the croc hunter narrated his fun-filled adventures.
Along with a hit show, also owned and operated the Australia Zoo, which was founded by his parents in Beerwah.
Unfortunately, the world’s time with Irwin was cut too short, he was killed doing the thing he loved most, being with wildlife in 2006.
Irwin died on September 4, 2006 when he was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb filming an underwater film Ocean’s Deadliest. His death came while he was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef at Batt Reef, off the coast of Port Douglas in north Queensland.
As the story goes, Irwin may have boxed in the ray and it attacked, sticking him with the spine on its tail. Reportedly, Irwin or someone in Irwin’s group pulled the barb from his chest, which has been a controversial move as it may have caused his ultimate death.
The coroner reported that a combination of toxins and the puncture wound from the spine caused him to go into cardiac arrest.
The events were caught on camera though Irwin’s wife Terri has said the footage of his death would never make it to television and has been destroyed.
Ocean’s Deadliest aired in 2007 on the Discovery Channel without any shots from the day Irwin died nor any mentions of his death except for a still shot of him at the end with the words “In Memory of Steve Irwin.”
