http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060904/ap_en_tv/obit_irwin

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin killed
23 minutes ago (01:45amEDT)

BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44.

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney's The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was diving near Low Isles near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of Brisbane.

A helicopter carrying paramedics flew to the island, but he died from a stingray barb to the heart, ABC reported on its Web site.

Telephone calls to Australia Zoo, Irwin's zoo in southern Queensland, were not immediately answered.

Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter," which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on the Discovery channel.

He rode his image into a feature film, and developed the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction.

Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at his Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his 1-year-old son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the 13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other.

Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating safety regulations.

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken against him.

I loved watching this guy before he kind of TomCruised with his son.
My thoughts to his wife Terri ,their kids and the Animals and Staff of AustraliaZoo.
He may have been a bit out there but you could tell he loved the animals.
What a shock! But not really if you ever watched the shows he would take 'incredible chances

APOLOGIES to ZooNana- I must have been within minute of her post-

Can not imagine they did not tell his wife first

How terribly sad. I feel so sorry for his wife and kids.

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Formerly known as Mrs12bfishin

My 7yo ds is in tears. This is devastating for his family but also for his many fans. I am just shocked.

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He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it----Martin Luther King, Jr.

I feel sobad for his family....

RoseMarie...my DH just said the same thing...he liked him until that stunt with his son in the croc. pen.. still feel bad

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I feel so sorry for the family, it is so sad, my DS was sioooo upset!

Wow :-(

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Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do what it says on the aspirin bottle: "Take two aspirin" and "Keep away from children."
--Author Unknown

My heart is broken for his wife and children...so sad.