Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin killed By Stingray

[Guest guest]

BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the Australian

television personality and environmentalist known as

the " Crocodile Hunter, " was killed Monday by a

stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media

said. He was 44.

 

 

Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the

Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state

when the accident occurred, Sydney's The Daily

Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site.

 

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was

diving near Low Isles near the resort town of Port

Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of Brisbane.

 

A helicopter carrying paramedics flew to the island,

but he died from a stingray barb to the heart, ABC

reported on its Web site.

 

Telephone calls to Australia Zoo, Irwin's zoo in

southern Queensland, were not immediately answered.

 

Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and

his catchcry " Crikey! " in his television program

" Crocodile Hunter, " which was first broadcast in

Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on

the Discovery channel.

 

He rode his image into a feature film, and developed

the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction.

 

Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent

years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at his

Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his 1-year-old

son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He

tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the

13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other.

 

Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating

safety regulations.

 

Later that year, he was accused of getting too close

to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica

while making a documentary. Irwin denied any

wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department

investigation recommended no action be taken against

him.