Steve Irwin killed by Stingray

I was sad to hear today that the Crocodile Hunter was killed by a Stingray. He was an amazing fellow, entertaining me on countless occasions when channel surfing brought me to Animal Planet. I'll always remember his Vitale-like enthusiasm and his absurd bravery that clearly stemmed from a simple love of the animals around him.

Count me among the people who thought he'd live forever, that his risks would never catch up with him. The news article I linked to above quotes his friend John Stainton as saying Steve swam too close to the stingray. But it also says that what happened to Steve was a freak accident and stingrays very rarely kill. Once I got used to his antics, I never doubted that Steve knew what he was doing, and I'm sure Steve was aware of the danger when he approached the stingray. I guess what I'm trying to say is I hope the world doesn't remember him as terribly reckless.

The one question I have is: was the stingray all right? Everyone who watched the show knows Steve would have wanted it to be ok. Unlike most hunters, Steve always put the well-being of the animals over his own. I'm sure many would consider that mindset alone "reckless." But I'll always remember the Crocodile Hunter as a hero.

Favorite Episode: The one where he goes in to have athroscopic surgery on his knee and gets the doctor to leave him conscious so he can watch and narrate through the entire thing. Not as thrilling as most shows, but revealed Steve's character as much as any did.

Anyone else have a favorite to share?