How Steve Irwin Died

On 4 September 2006, Steve Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray off the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia while filming a segment for his daughter Bindi Irwin's underwater documentary called Ocean's Deadliest. The BBC reported that this was only the second known fatality in Australian history from a stingray attack.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (01:00 UTC), Irwin was filming in the Low Isles, Queensland near Port Douglas, north of Cairns, Queensland, Australia, where he was stung either through his heart or through the left side of his chest and suffered cardiac arrest. After he was stung, his crew called for medical help and the Queensland Rescue Helicopter responded, taking him to Cairns Base Hospital. However, Irwin was pronounced dead at noon. The Queensland Police Service notified his family and released a statement for the media concerning the event.

Steve's colleague said "It's likely that he possibly died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don't think that he ... felt any pain." a few hours after the tragedy.

The doctor who administered Steve after the incident said "He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest." and that he probably died from a cardiac arrest almost instantly. What happened to Steve was highly unusual as stingray's are usually passive creatures, but Steve's colleague said that Steve was above the Stingray and instinctively it defended itself with its spear like tail (hence the name Stingray).

John Stainton tells ABC Australia "It was... the actual thing that he was shooting was for Bindi's new TV show, which was about to start next week when we go back, and it's the thing that he was doing at that point. I mean, considering that the program that we were shooting, the documentary, was called Ocean's Deadliest, it was just ironic."

Steve's death was recorded on camera and has been reviewed by Australian police who labelled the footage as "not suspicious" because Steve was not provoking the animal. According to the viewers of the video, Steve pulled out the Stingray barb and went unresponsive.

Steve said "if I die, I at least want it filmed on camera" in an interview which took place in 2003.

It was most probable that Steve Irwin's body went almost instantly into shock after the penetrating injury was dealt. Based on opinion, it is believed he felt some pain but this was probably overruled by shock and unconsciousness.

For the duration and a short while after the incident, Steve's wife (Terri Irwin), was on a walking tour in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania at the time.

What became of the documentary "Ocean's Deadliest" that he was filming for his daughter?

It was continued and finished, lead by Philippe Cousteau who was present on Croc 1 when Steve was killed.

Who is Steve Irwin survived by?

Steve Irwin is survived by his wife Terri (married in 1992), and his 2 children; Bindi Sue Irwin (female, was aged 9 at the time) and Robert Clarence "Bob" Irwin (male, was aged 2 at the time).

Did Steve have a state funeral?

An offer was put out, but the family wanted a more quiet and private funeral.

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