Steve Irwin was stung through the heart by a stingray today while filming a documentary off the great barrier reef.
Irwin, 44, had been filming a documentary off Port Douglas in northern Queensland when he was killed by a stingray barb through the heart. He was rushed to hospital by helicopter, but he died before they arrived.
Another write-up on the incident that I read this morning says the poison from the sting was not fatal, but that the barb can leave a wound up to 20 cm deep. Since the barb went into his heart, the result is just like getting stabbed through the heart by a large knife. My wife, children, and I used to watch his show quite often. As crazy as he was, he always seemed fairly aware of what he was doing. Apparently this time he wasn’t careful enough, as stingrays almost never sting except in self-defence or out of fear.
[tags]Steve Irwin obituary, Crocodile hunter[/tags]