The media often compares the shocking news of the death of Steve Irwin with the hysteria caused by the tragic death of Princess Diana. Irwin himself, by any comparison with Diana, Spencer would probably have shouted out his famous “Well and Well!”, But there is something in common with how they passed away. Both the naturalist and the Princess of Wales died under awkward circumstances and became the center of discussion for the media. As with the death of Diana, the assassination of John Lennon or John F. Kennedy, people remember where they were and what they were doing at the moment they learned about Irwin's death.
Family business and first show
Steve Irwin was born in Victoria (Australia) in 1962. From childhood, he caught crocodiles in the vicinity of his parents' reptile park. His father founded the park in the seventies of the last century. Since 1991, Irwin became the head of the family business, and soon created the first series of "Crocodile Hunter." The series did not want to be aired for a long time. The producers of the channel assured that the show about animals, in which the presenter takes more than 20% of the time, will not become popular. But Crocodile Hunter was watched by viewers around the world. The program was first aired in 1992. Soon after, Irwin was awarded the Merit Award for promoting Australia, contributing to the tourism industry and creating the Australia Zoo.
Personal life, family
In 1992, Steve Irwin married Terry Raines. The youngest of three daughters in a family of businessmen began working in a rehabilitation center for animals, and then joined the emergency veterinary hospital as a technician. In 1991, she went on a tour of Australia, where she met her future husband. Steve and Terry Irwin were not just spouses, but also like-minded people who devoted their lives to the study and protection of wildlife.
Bindi Irwin, daughter of Steve and Terry, was born in 1998. The girl began to appear on television at the age of two. She regularly participated in her father's show, and he supported his daughter's career. Today, Bindi Irwin makes films and participates in many projects of the Discovery Channel. Robert Irwin, the youngest child of the spouses, was born in 2003. He actively starred for his own Australian children's TV channel and took part in the television series for the children's Discovery. Once during the filming, my father held little Robert in one hand, and a crocodile in the other. This incident caused a lot of criticism and discussion in the media. As a result, the Queensland government was forced to amend crocodile laws. Authorities have banned children and unprepared adults from contacting animals.
On the verge of death
The naturalist has repeatedly been in situations where dangerous animals threatened his life. He had many injuries sustained in contact with animals, but each time the TV presenter said that this was the result of his incorrect behavior, and not aggression from the animal itself. The naturalist suffered the first serious damage in the early nineties when he dived onto a crocodile from the bow of the boat. The crocodile was sitting on a stone that Steve Irwin had hit. He smashed his shoulder to the bone. Important ligaments, muscles and tendons were cut.
In East Timor, Irwin once saved a crocodile that was stuck in a concrete pipe. It seemed that the animal could not be pulled out. But Steve Irwin ducked inside. The crocodile grabbed the presenter with a stranglehold, as a result of which the same arm was badly damaged. Once a crocodile hit a naturalist on the head. From the jump on a four-meter crocodile, Irvin's legs and knees were cut. Another time he had to save a kangaroo on the side of the highway. Despite the danger, the TV presenter continued to make programs and films.
Fatal decision
On September 4, 2006, a naturalist went scuba diving to take stingrays off the Great Barrier Reef. On the day of death, the TV presenter did not shoot for himself. He was filming a series of programs “Deadly Ocean Animals”, but on his free day went to shoot a story about skates for his daughter's show “Bindi is a girl from the jungle”. This decision subsequently proved fatal for him. The TV presenter repeatedly went down under the water to the ramps, so that he did not feel the danger. No one could have imagined that the cause of the death of Steve Irwin would be a stingray strike. In general, they are extremely rare for humans. Along the shores of the Green Continent, only two facts of the deaths of people stung by these animals were documented.
Live
One of the fish unexpectedly attacked Steve Irwin (photo of a naturalist can be seen in the article) when the presenter was above it. Stingray lifted its tail with a venomous sting and struck Irwin right in the area of the heart. In a few moments he made dozens of punches. Why the animal turned out to be so aggressive, it will not be possible to find out. Cameraman Justin Lyons, who became the main witness to the tragedy, managed to videotape this death. Steve Irwin live tragically died. The last words of the TV presenter were heard by his friend and operator, who was waiting for medical help. In response to the encouraging words of friendly support, Steve looked Justin in the eye and said that he was dying. These words echoed for many months in the head of a close friend of a famous naturalist.
Death record
All or almost all copies of the record of how Steve Irwin killed the ramp, which were in Justin Lyons’s possession and handed over to the investigators, were later destroyed. Such a decision was made by relatives and close people of the TV presenter. According to rumors, one copy of the recording remained with his widow, Terry Irwin, but the woman immediately stated that the video would never go on air.
Rescue opportunity
Medic Gabe Mirkin, who arrived at the scene of the tragedy almost immediately, said that the presenter could have been saved if he had not pulled a poisonous stingray from the wound. In general, nothing is clear with this circumstance: the operator claims that Irwin did not pull the spike out of the wound, and the doctors and investigators who looked at the record claim that the spike was removed from the body. The truth is unlikely to succeed.
There were also many rumors that Steve Irwin was under the influence of alcohol that day. Doctors refute this statement. According to the results of the analyzes, no traces of the use of alcohol in the blood of the naturalist were found.
For many years, the poison presenter and outstanding biologist Jamie Seymour worked with the TV presenter. The doctor also appeared very quickly at the scene. He tried to do everything to save his friend, but quickly realized that it was almost impossible. The presenter died too quickly, so death did not come from poison, but from injections. For many years, Dr. Seymour reproached himself for not being able to come up with anything to save his colleague.
Shocking interview
After reporting that Steve Irwin was killed, his close friend and cameraman, who was present at this tragic event, repeatedly gave interviews in which he spoke in detail about what had happened. Many friends from Irwin’s inner circle later stated that he took advantage of the death of a naturalist to gain popularity. Some defended Justin Lyons. The death of a friend was a shock to him, and stories about her are a way to survive grief. In no interview did Lyons say anything bad or ambiguous about the naturalist.
Hatred of slopes
The Australians simply adored Steve Irwin. After his death, fans began to take revenge on animals, one of which killed a naturalist. Within a month after the tragic death of Irwin, at least ten stingrays were killed off the coast of Australia. Most of them had tails torn out. And the stingray that killed Steve Irwin is rumored to be held in captivity in Australia.
TV presenter's funeral
After the death of the TV presenter, the Irwin family zoo became a Mecca for thousands of fans who turned the entrance into it into a large flower garden. The family was inundated with messages from around the world with words of support. Especially a lot of letters came from the USA, where the news was about the death of the TV presenter for several days. Queensland's prime minister suggested Steve Irwin's widow hold a state funeral. Many Australians supported this initiative, but the family decided that such a large-scale event was not necessary. Bob Irwin, Steve's father, stated that his son would not want such honors. The private ceremony took place on September 9th at the Australian Zoo, where Steve Irwin worked. For visitors, the grave is not available.
Criticism
Steve Irwin has repeatedly been criticized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals society. The vice president of the public organization commented on the death of the TV presenter. He said that Irwin died, teasing a deadly animal, and made his brilliant career on the same. The head of society also compared the naturalist with the "star of a cheap television show." The death of Steve Irwin was parodied in the animated series "South Park", which caused an extremely negative reaction of his relatives.
