[fubr]

BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular 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 Reef near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of the state capital of Brisbane.

Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef but refused to say who the victim was until relatives had been notified.

A rescue helicopter was sent from the nearby city of Cairns, and paramedics from it confirmed the diver’s death.

“The probable cause of death is stingray strike to the chest,” Hamil said.

Staff at Australia Zoo, Irwin’s zoo in southern Queensland, said they had heard the reports but could not comment.

'Crikey!'
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 the 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.

Irwin was also seen as a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections.

Irwin told the Australian television program “A Current Affair” that “killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me.”

He is survived by his American wife Terri, from Oregon, and their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December.

© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Cristian]

Yeah I just saw the news about that WOW I cant belived that, this guys restles with Crocodiles and venumus snakes and that happen to him that is really sad I watch him on tv wend he was on, doing all those crazy adventures but was really good at it.......

We do not know when we will be called home, I just cant wait for the Conspiracy Theorists to get their hands on this one.

he was a wild one and he will be missed

[brjak]

"crikey"

[skinerd]

The guy was awesum......but a touch loco too....I saw his 10 most poisionus snakes program, that dude was fearless.....and those snakes were trying to bite..some were very agressive.

[easydoesit]

Darn shame and he will be missed and my prayers go out to his family and friends.......Easy

[Chip Douglas]

Im not surprised.The guy was nutz.Everytime i watched one of his shows i thought to myself "this guy is gonna get killed one of these days"
I am surprised he lasted as long as he did though.

[maxheadroom]

He was bitten in the past by snakes and survived. This time it was a StingRay and he could not be revived. It's a shame he has young family

[Chip Douglas]

I do feel bad for his family though.

[kable2]

Crikey, now that we have the stingray in a headlock and he is starting to settle down, i am going to stick me thumb into his butt hole. This might piss him off a little but argggggggggggggggggg

They say the best way to die is doing what you love !!!! RIP Crikey

Ya guy was a wacko...but good entertainment all the same...and he died doing what he loved...not sure how many folk can say that....? Hope the wife and kid(s) are,,, and do OK...

[Bandit5906]

The guy was an avid sportsman and great entertainment! He loved life and he loved what he was doing and he really knew his sport!

He was here in the States one time for FOX and wanted to do some falconry with us. He knew just about everything in every venue: he knew how to hunt with flacons, hawks and eagles. He hunted with my bird almost as well as I did (would have been equal with more time).

I do not know of anyone who had contact with him or even saw him on TV who did not enjoy his entertainment. He demanded so much respect, but in the end he did what we all do: got complacient.

We all get reminders from time to time: scars, marks, etc. Some of us back off a little, but he never did.

I have always admired him. I am really heartbroken at the final outcome. We all get complacient from time to time, but this time he paid the ultimate price. Hope I never do!

Steve Irwin: RIP!

[00000]

crikey where's that cheesy irwin video everyone's talkin about/

[mili]

He did so much to educate people that your first reaction should not be fear when you see a snake or another "dangerous" animal. He saved the lives of many critters, educated millions of people that the answer is to our fears is nto to kill what we are afraid of. His boots will be impossible to fill. He died the way he lived, doing what he loved and I am sure if he could comment on his demise he'd have no regrets.
Rest in peace Steve.

mili

[searay]

Well said mili, I know I and my family have been greatly affected by Steve's genuine love and respect for our wildlife.
God Bless you Steve, we all miss you very much.

searay

[A-Team]

Still don't belive it those kids without there dad what ashame.