Steve Irwin (February 22, 1962 - September 4, 2006)
It was a shock to hear about the death of Steve Irwin on the news yesterday. I sort of thought he would either die due to some animal or else be 105 years old and dying of a heart attack while wrestling an alligator. Either way, I knew it would be doing what he loved best. Now whether you liked him or not, you really have to respect Steve Irwin for loving what he did with such passion. I wish I could have one of my passions become my life’s work. I admired Steve Irwin’s passion. Some accused him of being reckless. I disagree with that. From all that I have read, Steve Irwin knew exactly what he was doing and took all the precautions he could in every instance. He recognized what he did could be dangerous and result in injury or even death. He didn’t jump into it with reckless abandon nor did he take unecessary chances. Those accusing him of being reckless are simply wrong and insult the man in the process.
One story my Dad told me was from an official at Eglin Air Force Base where Steve Irwin visited for several episodes of The Crocodile Hunter. According to this official, when Steve rode around the reserve, he’d jump out of the vehicle from time to time whenever he saw wildlife…especially the rattlesnakes commonly found there. One of the people riding with Steve though that Irwin was the “craziest son-of-a-bitch” (his words) he’d ever met for running after and actually catching rattlesnakes with his bare hands. If you’ve seen the episodes of The Crocodile Hunter filmed in the Florida panhandle at Eglin AFB and the Eglin Reserve you’ll know what I’m talking about.
For the most part, people have been paying their repects both online via blogs as well as in person at the Australia Zoo which Steve operated. The memories from fans of The Crocodile Hunter have been very touching to read.
I feel that God blessed this earth by allowing Steve Irwin to touch so many people through his enthusiasm, his humor and his joy in what he did. I was a fan of his show and watched it many times. Each time I was entertained and learned something as well. From what I have heard and read, Steve Irwin was just as wonderful in person and that what you saw on television wasn’t an act of some sort. He would get just as pumped up in the most mundane of tasks at the Australia Zoo just as he would when encountering a “beauty” of a crocodile in the wild. That sort of positive enthusiasm should be embraced by more people in my humble opinion.
My sincere prayers and thoughts go out to the family, friends, co-workers and fans of Steve Irwin. May God bring comfort to Steve Irwin’s wife Terri, his two children and all those around them. He will be missed by millions worldwide.
UPDATE: Apparently video captured Steve Irwin’s final moments. From E! Online news:
When shooting his daredevil animal adventures, Steve Irwin had one iron-clad instruction for his film crews.
“When something grabs me, keep rolling. That’s the golden rule. The golden rule,” he once explained in an interview.
On Monday, Irwin’s wishes were honored one last time, when a camera crew captured his final moments on video after he was fatally struck in the heart by a stingray’s barb.
Irwin was working on an underwater documentary titled Ocean’s Deadliest on the Great Barrier Reef at the time of his death.
The footage shows Irwin pulling the stingray’s poisonous barb from his chest before losing consciousness, his friend and longtime manager John Stainton told reporters.
“It shows that the, Steve came over the top of the ray, and then the tail came up and spiked him [in the chest] and he pulled it out, and the next minute he’s gone. And that was it, and then the cameraman had to shut down,” Stainton said.
“It’s a very hard thing to watch, because you are actually witnessing somebody die, and it’s terrible.”
Discovery Networks President Billy Campbell told the Australian Associated Press that it would be up to Irwin’s family to decide whether the footage would ever be made public.
Personally, I hope it never makes it to air. Out of respect to the Irwin family, it should remain private in my opinion.
September 5th, 2006 at 10:16 pm
Yes, Steve Irwin was a great (little crazy) man, and we’ll all miss him. I agree, the footage should be kept private. As much as I’d love to be famous for something great one day I’d have to have the public snooping around in my private life, especially when it comes to a death.
Very nice tribute, by the way.
September 6th, 2006 at 6:05 pm
We definitely have similar opinions. I completely agree with you, especially about the video. I for sure wouldn’t want anyone to watch me die!
September 11th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Thanks for your comments at my site.I also agree about the video,but I just have to wander since nobody else has a copy I wander if the ones who has a copy will start getting money hungry and will try and sell that footage.If that happens,then I hope if they do get any money from it,I hope that somehow they will lose it all.