'Croc Hunter's' last moments caught on tape

[Tellurian]

Irwin pulled stingray barb from heart before dying on Great Barrier Reef

CAIRNS, Australia - Steve Irwin was videotaped pulling a poisonous stingray barb from his chest in his last moments of life, officials said Tuesday, as tributes poured in for TV’s “Crocodile Hunter.”
Police said there was nothing suspicious about Irwin’s death and no evidence he provoked the animal. Irwin, 44, was stabbed through the heart on Monday while snorkeling with a stingray during filming of a new TV program on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

John Stainton, Irwin’s manager who was among the crew on the reef, said the fatal blow was caught on videotape, and described viewing the footage as having the “terrible” experience of watching a friend die.
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“It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he’s gone,” Stainton told reporters in Cairns, where Irwin’s body was taken for an autopsy.
Queensland state police were holding the tape as evidence for a coroner’s inquiry — a standard procedure in high-profile deaths or those caused

<snip>

"Parliament took a break from the business of running the country to pay tribute to Irwin, whose body was being flown home Tuesday from Cairns. No funeral plans were announced but state Premier Peter Beattie said Irwin would be afforded a state funeral if his family agreed."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14675529/

[Tellurian]

1. Amazing to have his death caught on tape..

Steve had been warned not to be so careless dealing with marine animals.
I thought the same thing, He's out of his element in the sea..

[liberaldemocrat7]

5. Late last year on PBS a man in the US who cared for animals

had his own death videotaped by his crew. I believe he got mauled to death by a bear.

May Mr. Irwin rest in peace.

[acmavm]

2. Geez, I hope they don't make the damn thing public. That would just

be too ghoulish.

[afrosia]

7. I heard the family wanted it to be shown publicly...

That's the front cover of today's Daily Star here in the UK. Don't know if there's any truth in that though.

[keopeli]

3. Let's never make this public and let the story be told by word of mouth nt

[Tellurian]

4. I hope not as well..

So painful for the family as it is..

I have the feeling the "tape" will become an object of obsession.
Some tabloid will put a bounty on it or worse a depraved, bereft,
person will choreograph a stunt saying it's Erwin and turn the
whole thing into a media Circus Freak show.

[countryjake]

6. Erroneous reports...

seem to be coming out all over now about this incident. According to a phonecall interview that was done with John Stainton on CNN, Mr. Irwin did not pull any barbs from his own chest, & Mr. Stainton has not viewed the videotape & has no desire to see it.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0609/04/acd.01.html

~snip~

SANCHEZ: So, did the spike, which is, I guess, one of the ways to describe that barb, actually go into his chest?

STAINTON: I don't know. I wasn't there.

SANCHEZ: I under...

STAINTON: I wasn't underwater.

SANCHEZ: I -- I understand that this was being filmed at the time. Have -- have you or has anyone else seen this film?

STAINTON: I can't watch it. And it's -- it's in police custody.

SANCHEZ: I see.

STAINTON: I -- and I don't want to see it. But, yes.


~snip~

SANCHEZ: I'm -- I'm only asking this question because we would like to clear up something. There's a report out there that he actually reached out and -- and -- and grabbed the barb, being the courageous fellow that he was, and took it out after the -- after it happened. Is that true?

STAINTON: Don't you hear a lot of rumors and -- and stuff that goes around on these things? And it's just absolute rubbish.

SANCHEZ: That's not true?

STAINTON: Oh, of course it's not true. I'm offended that you even mentioned it to me, to be honest.



This accident is horrible enough without crude attempts to sensationalize the man's death.

[City Lights]

9. Well it is Rick Sanchez.

'Nuff said. :puke:

[Tellurian]

11. ...

[Tellurian]

12. The report the tape will be made public came from the UK n/t

[jhrobbins]

8. The media are already beginning to question his 'reckless'..

lifestyle, so some of them , are no doubt going to demonize his way of approaching his vocation. I am much more critical of those daredevils that jump off of cliffs or bridges, or the idiots that drive their cars into rain swollen creeks, causing emergency personnel to risk their lives.


I do have one question though. I heard this morning that apparently he pulled the barb out of his chest and I thought that this was a no-no in emergency protocol.

[Tellurian]

10. I don't think it mattered either way..

So they say..From what I've read in other articles from Ray experts,
the necrotizing begins at the point of entry of the barb. Pulling it
out releases the poison and causes excruciating pain.

And for what it's worth, Irwin's friend, gave a video taped interview,
(which showed on nbc) mentioned he watched the tape, saw his friend
pull out the barb and die instantly.

I don't know what the CNN interview is all about...maybe done earlier?