20+ Crazy Facts About Steve Irwin’s Death Copy

1. He COULD Have Survived

(Image Source/ blogspot)There's a seriously haunting fact about Steve Irwin's death (besides the fact that his life was tragically taken in a freak attack by a normally docile animal). This is the fact that he actually could have survived. A US doctor has claimed that if Irwin had not removed the stingray barb from his chest, he could have lived. It was acting as a plug, and once this was removed there was nothing to stop him from bleeding to death.

2. His Last Words... 'I'm Dying'

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Justin Lyons is the sole man that can account for what happened in those terrible moments. When the attack happened, the stingray started attacking Irwin by stabbing its tail hundreds of times over and over. Irwin's last words were 'I'm dying'. He knew exactly what was happening in his last moments. Lyons was with him telling him to try and hang on and to think of his family to pull him through but Irwin looked up to his face and told Lyons he was going to die.

3. A Premonition Of Death

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There was something really odd in the way Steve Irwin had acted in his last few days. John Stainton, his best friend, and work partner also that he had had a premonition of his own death and felt this sense of foreboding of something about to come. It actually prompted him to write a will and have a thorough health check just days before he died. It was as though he could sense a death arriving, but it turned out to be his best friend instead.

4. Going Through Hell

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To come to the terms with your husband's early death is something incomprehensibly heart-breaking. And, to discover there was a way to avoid losing the love of her life has added extra turmoil. When his wife discovered that he could have survived by keeping the sting in his heart, she spoke out about how she was going through hell and could not come to terms with it.

5. His Final Speech Was Like He Knew He Was About To Die

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In the days running up to the filming of the Ocean’s Deadliest, Irwin made a speech that made everyone feel like something was wrong. He did a speech thanking them all for their hard work and for being there alongside him on their mission. But, even at the time, it felt to the crew like a final speech, as though he was saying goodbye. Looking back after his death it ominously feels as though this is even more true. What seemed at the time out of place, actually ended up being the final speech after all.

6. He Didn't Realise The Damage At First

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We know that before his death he realised that he was dying. But straight after the attack, he had no idea just how badly he had been hurt. He didn't realise the irreparable damage to his heart. He at first told Lyons that the stingray had punctured his lung, he thought this was the extent of the attack.

7. He Was Struck 100 Times

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Steve Irwin's death was brutal. The stingray reacted extremely strongly, exactly as it would if it was reacting against a natural predator for example a lion shark. The stingray did not strike Irwin once, but around 100 times over and over. It happened so fast, the tail was piercing him faster than anyone could do anything about it.

8. Was He Under The Influence?

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We sincerely hope this is not the case, but a source has claimed that Steve Irwin was under the influence of mushrooms whilst he was filming on this particular day. In a career that takes meticulous concentration, it would have been very important that Irwin had his full focus. This claim is not something that can be solidified as there is no evidence.

9. Revenge Of The Fans

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Everybody around the world was shocked and heartbroken at the loss of the legend. In Queensland, there were numerous stingrays found with their tails cut off. This was the revenge of angry fans who took out their anger of his death on the creatures in general, they had hunted them down and severed off their tails which hold the poisonous sting.

10. Fateful Footage

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Justin Lyons was the only person with Steve Irwin when he was killed. He was the cameraman who was shooting the footage. He was asked about whether some of the footage which caught the fatal attack on camera would be leaked. He was adamant for the sake of his family that it would never ever be shown.

11. The Evidence Was Destroyed

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Irwin's family agreed with the decision, despite being given the rights to the footage. They fought to keep it private and away from the eye of the public. The only people to this day to have seen the tragedy on camera are the Queensland State Police Department. The rest was then permanently destroyed.

12. He Died At The Scene

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After the attack, the crew acted fast to try and help Steve. They got Steve Irwin out of the water and into the boat. Despite all of their efforts to save him, Steve Irwin tragically passed away right there at the scene. There was no time left after the fatal attack.

13. His Toxicologist Blamed Himself

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There was no fault of Steve Irwin's death...it was a tragic, freak, accident. But, when Steve Irwin was pulled out of the water the toxicologist did his best to save his life but at this point, it was pretty much impossible - the damage caused by the stingrays was irreparable. But, he blamed himself for over a decade for not being able to save him. It's haunted him ever since.

14. Lyon's Firsthand Account

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As we all know, Lyon was the witness to Irwin's demise, he saw the whole thing. Afterward he came out and did an interview and talked openly about what had happened that awful day. Yet, because Lyons included a lot of detail, there were a lot of people who criticized him for it and who thought he should not have spoken about it publicly at all.

15. He And His Wife Planned For Another Baby

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Steve Irwin and his wife Terri had two children together already. But, they had planned to try for another baby in the hopes of having a third child added to the family. Sadly, of course, this never came to fruition. Terri opened up about their plans in an interview when the couple had excitedly been talking about the future of their family together.

16. A Letter To His Parents

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After Irwin's death, his parents brought out an old letter that he had written when he had just turned 30 years old. The letter was heartfelt and thanked his parents for their love and support and declared that they were his best friends. The letter is something  that they will continue to hold on to forevermore to remind them of their unbreakable bond, even in death.

17. He Saved His Friend's Life

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Mannion was Irwin's best friend, the two of them were as close as could be. And, Mannion also has Steve to thank for allowing him to live another day. There was an incident during filming where a crocodile bit Mannion's leg. Steve jumped in with a safety stick that allowed Mannion to escape. They were bonded by even more than friendship.

18. Life-Long Love

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Most children at the age of six aren't doing what Steve Irwin was. At six years old he got given his own python for his birthday present. And, by the age of ten, he was dealing with crocodiles (with the help of his father) which quickly became his favorite creature. His passion was ingrained in him from birth, he was born to do what he did and follow his dreams of working with wildlife.

19. A Snappy Honeymoon

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Honeymoons often bring to mind romance, relaxation, and luxury...not crocodile catching. But, that's exactly what the couple did on their honeymoon. The pair of them were meant to be together, and Terri was also enthralled by the mission of helping wildlife. Together they spent the holiday observing and studying crocodiles.

20. A Sentimental Service

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The news of Steve Irwin's passing had rocked the world and there was mass heartache. The funeral had to be special in order to honor his legacy. It took place at the Australia Zoo and Irwin's gear truck was driven around the arena to mark the end of the ceremony. The workers had spelled out crikey (his trademark catchphrase) in yellow flowers to pay tribute to Irwin.

21. 'Together Forever'

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On the anniversary of her husband's death in 2018, Terri paid a touching and heartfelt tribute to her late husband. She stated that she could never get over the grief of losing him and that she felt lonely for Steve. She wrote that the two of them would be together forever beside an image of the couple crouched next to a crocodile.

22. Hoaxes

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Some people cannot even respect death, and after Steve Irwin's death, there were hoaxes posted online. These hoaxes were fake videos of his death. None of them were real because the real footage has long since been destroyed - before anybody from the public could see it.

23. He Helped Save Missing Divers

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Back in 2003 Irwin and his filming crew were filming a documentary about sea lions. When he heard that there were missing divers in the sea, he paused the production of the show so that he could help search for the missing divers. Together, they managed to save one of the divers.

24. He Bought A Large Piece Of Land In Fiji

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Steve Irwin purchased some large pieces of land in Fiji, Australia. Not for himself as a kind of holiday place. But, to be able to protect the species there. With it being his land, he could leave it as a space solely for animals, where nobody can build or destroy the land and therefore destroy the species.

25. He Sparked Controversy

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Irwin was very rarely in the media for a negative reason - but this time he certainly sparked some controversy. In 2004, he was holding his baby son in his arms whilst feeding a crocodile. There was some outcry at this and the whole thing sparked a new law to be put in place. After the incident, the Queensland government banned children from being in close proximity to crocodiles.

26. He Discovered A New Species

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There are not many people in the world who discover a new species - but Irwin did exactly that. During a fishing trip with his father, they discovered a strange kind of turtle on the end of his fishing line. When they sent it to a herpetologist, they told them that it was a species that had never been discovered before.

27. Running The Zoo

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In 1991 Steve Irwin started running the Australia Zoo - the zoo where his funeral was later held. When Irwin started this journey, he had no idea that in less than 10 years he would be famous. During this time he gained experience with animals and his love and passion for wildlife grew.

28. The Modern-Day Noah

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Steve Irwin's wildlife preserving mission was renowned all over the world. To this day, everybody knows Irwin and his legacy. The CEO of the RSPCA actually named him the 'modern-day Noah'., after the story of Noah's Ark when Noah saved the animals from the flood. Which, really is a name fit for a legend like Steve Irwin.

29. He Was Afraid Of Parrots

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The crocodile hunter was known for loving and dealing with some of the most dangerous species on the planet. Did this scare him? No. But what he was in fact afraid of were parrots... The man who chose to hang out with deadly predators was afraid of the red mimicking bird.

30. Ambassador Of Australia

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In 2001 Steve Irwin was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal. This honored him for his services for global wildlife conservation aswell as his contribution to Australian tourism. It was much deserved as Irwin devoted his life to the cause of wildlife welfare.

31. Love At First Sight

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We often think of the concept of love at first sight as something fake. But for Steve and Terri it was real to them. Terri visited the zoo in 1991 and describes meeting him for the first time: “I thought there was no one like this anywhere in the world. He sounded like an environmental Tarzan, a larger-than-life superhero guy.”

32. He Was Getting Footage For His Daughter's Footage

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On that tragic day that Irwin died, the crew was taking a break from filming. His daughter was doing a documentary and Steve was helping her. So, during the break, he spotted a stingray in the water and he went in to get some footage for his daughter. The very stingray that ended up killing him.

33. A Normally Docile Creature

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The stingray is not usually a violent animal it is in fact usually very docile. So, of all the creatures that Irwin dealt with this would not have been the one he would view as a threat. It was the third known fatal stingray attack in Australia since 1945.

34. And There Are Two Attacks A Year Worldwide

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It makes it even more tragic that this terrible accident could not have been predicted by anyone, it came as a complete and utter shock. There are only one or two cases world-wide per year of stingray attacks that turn out to be fatal. Nobody could have ever seen this coming.

35. They Got Engaged After Four Months

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These two people were destined to be together. Their missions in terms of wildlife preservation were the same, and their characters just immediately clicked. After just four months, Irwin popped the question. Time seemed irrelevant when the two of them were sure about one another.

36. He Named His Daughter After Two Animals

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Only Steve could get away with this...naming his daughter Bindi Sue after his dog. But for Steve, there is no higher compliment. Her name Bindi came from his crocodile named Bindi. And, Sue was a name he chose after his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Sui.

37. He Was Sued

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In 2004 an Australian Court tried to sue Steve for the work he did during one of his documentaries. The claim was that Steve Irwin had interfered with Penguins and Whales and changed their life. He was acquitted of the claims by the court which investigated and found no fault.

38. Global Popularity

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Not many shows in the world become so popular that they reach global fame. By 1998 Steve Irwin's show was extremely popular in the United States especially. It was not just his mission that seemed to resonate with people and fascinate people, but Steve himself that fans loved.

39. Feature Film

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In 2002 Irwin starred in his first, and last, feature film named The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (a name he became widely known as). It won him an award - the Young Artist Award  for the Best Family Feature Film. It was very popular at the time and people were eager to find out more about the wildlife legend.

40. Sporty Dad

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Steve Irwin always stayed fit and busy and he loved sports. In particular, he loved Australian football. He also trained in the art of Gaidojutsu which is a type of Martial arts. When you spend your days wrestling crocodiles, it must be important to keep fit and be aware of how to protect yourself.

41. Irwin's Turtle

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It only seems right that after all of the work he did, and a life dedicated to animals he had one named after himself. And, so he did. But not just in an honorary manner, he discovered this new species himself. So now, there is a turtle named Elseya Irwini... or Irwin's Turtle.

42. Irwin Week

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The Irwin Week celebrations in 2006 were a week celebrating Australia's hero. It was the peak of his fame and prevalence, sadly just one year before his terrible death. He appeared at UCLA's Pauley Pavillion in Los Angeles to go and meet many of his excited fans.

43. Following In His Dad's Footsteps

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We have discussed Bindi Sue previously, but Terri and Steve also had a son named Robert. And Robert is extremely proud of his father and has decided to follow in his dad's footsteps. He has become a TV personality and wants to carry on the legacy started by his dad.

44. He Captured 100+ Crocs...To Start With

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Saying that Steve Irwin captured over 100 crocs sounds impressive. Yet this isn't the half of it. He accomplished this as he was just starting out as a volunteer for Queensland’s East Coast Crocodile Management program. So at this point, he was just getting started.

45. In 2006 He Developed A 10 Year Plan

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Back in 2006, Steve Irwin developed a 10-year plan for The Australia Zoo. Knowing now that he passed away just one year later means that it was even more important that Irwin did that when he did. Irwin was the driving force behind it and the person who really knew the zoo inside out.

46. Runs In The Blood

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Steve Irwin's passion for Crocodiles did not come from nowhere. His father Bob was a wildlife expert while his mother Lyn was a wildlife rehabilitator. So, in the knowledge of this it seems only right that Steve Irwin took the career path that he did...it was in his blood.

47. And They Set up A Reptile Park

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Not only did Bob and Lyn spend their careers preserving wildlife. But the couple moved from Melbourne to Queensland and when they did, they decided to set up a reptile park. And so, Steve Irwin was surrounded by crocodiles and reptiles from a very young age.

48. His Parent's Zoo

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As we all know, Irwin ran the Australia zoo. And he owned it and operated it alongside his wife Terri. But not many people realise that this Zoo was actually founded by Irwin's parents. And so the zoo has been passed down generations. During Steve's life and even in his death...the Zoo continues to flourish.

49. It Changed Names Multiple Times

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The zoo was not always known as The Australia Zoo. In fact it took a few names to get to that point. But eventually, the zoo settled on its name. And, of course, when Steve Irwin became famous he brought a lot of attention to it so it will always be known as The Australia Zoo today.

50. He Helped Out As A Child

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Having a zoo as a family operation is no easy feat indeed. This is one of the reasons Steve Irwin has been so involved with animals from such a young age. Not only would he spend a lot of time watching the animals he would also help out with feeding and general maintenance.

51. He Has A Street Named After Him

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Steve grew up in Beerwah which is a small Australian town with a population of around 6,000. After he became a global icon, and then tragically died, the town decided to honor him by naming a street after him. The street is now called the Steve Irwin Way.

52. It Was Dangerous

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The street in question was actually a particularly difficult street and is renowned in the town and the area for being quite dangerous. In fact, over the years there have been a number of accidents happening there. Whether this was reflecting Irwin's dangerous career path we don't know.

53. He Has A Ship Named After Him

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Not only has Irwin got a Turtle and a road named after him, he also has a ship named after him. It is called My Irwin and it's a ship that is used to stop whaling activities and illegal fishing making it the perfect ship to represent him and everything he stood for.

54. The Brisbane Broncos

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Steve Irwin as we know was a huge sports lover alongside his passion for animals. And in particular, he loved the Brisbane Broncos which was a rugby team that was based in the capital of Queensland. In fact, one day he turned up at the training camp to meet the players in person.

55. ...And He Was Crushed By Them

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But Steve did not just want to meet the players, oh no. He asked if he could be tackled by the largest member of the team - Shane Weckbe. Weckbe obliged and crushed Steve. And in true Irwin fashion, he was thrilled by the whole thing, even getting flattened by Weckbe.

56. Dr. Dolittle

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Steve's film career didn't actually end after his feature film because he made a cameo appearance in Dr. Dolittle 2 

alongside Eddie Murphy. It was not a big role but his loveable character and his complete passion for wildlife were apparent in this short space of time.

57. He Was Worth 10 million

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At the time of his death, Steve Irwin had a net worth of around 10 million dollars. It's an impressive sum that's for sure, but it doesn't come as such a huge surprise when we consider his massive fame and success at this time. He was a national treasure and everyone loved him.

58. He's Still One Of The Most Influential Figures

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Steve Irwin is still one of the most influential figures and one of the largest figures in wildlife preservation today. Even in his death, his legacy continues on and he continues to inspire and continue the movement he so successfully helped to conserve.

59. The Child Abuse Claim

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As we previously saw, Irwin caused a massive stir when he fed the crocodiles whilst holding his baby son. Not only did people say it was careless they actually claimed it was child abuse meaning that the authorities had to have its say. They agreed with Steve who said the baby was at no risk.

60. Marriage Is Scarier Than Crocodile Wrestling

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You'd think nothing can scare this guy, after all his work revolves around dangerous predators. Yet, the thing that scared him most was getting married. He said it was much more scary than dealing with crocs. He was sweating the entire time - of course, he loved it nonetheless.

61. He Had His Diving Certificate

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Is there anything that this guy couldn't do? In his spare time (how he had any is beyond us) he also got his diving certificate and would dive when he had the opportunity. After all, diving allows you to see the natural world under the water - so of course, he would have loved it.

62. He Loved Jet Skiing

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Another one of Irwin's hobbies that people rarely know about was jet skiing. There's definitely a theme here...most of Irwin's hobbies and passions are exciting and slightly dangerous. When he had the time he would get out onto the water in a jet ski.

63. He Loved Watching Martial Arts Competitions

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As we know, Steve did some martial arts himself and it was one of the sports he really loved. And, he would go to watch competitions whenever he could, it was one of the things he loved to go and watch martial arts competitions - and perhaps watch out for some tips on technique too.

64. TV Appearance

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Irwin once was a part of the humorous ESPN television commercial. During the commercial, Irwin is surprised by the big green alligator mascot for the University of Florida.  And so in true Steve Irwin fashion, he quickly wrestles it to the ground. There was no one better for the cameo than Steve.

65. He Caught A Poisonous Snake At The Age Of Six

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Most of us would not dare to catch a venomous snake at any point in our life, but for Steve Irwin - he's done this by six years old. It was his first and most dangerous catch up to this point in his life. Which, considering he was 6 years old is majorly impressive.

66. He Was Often Late To School Because He'd Rescue Animals On The Way

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His mother would take him to school every day. And, they'd end up running late fairly often. But, the excuse was worth it. Steve Irwin as a young child even would spot animals in need so that he and his mum would stop to help. Surely the teachers couldn't be mad at that.

67. His Foundation

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Steve Irwin in 2002 founded his own conservation which was initially named the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation. It was formed to try and educate people about how vital it is to protect and save wildlife in the world. It was later renamed The Wildlife Warriors.

68. The Zoo Is Now 76 Acres

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As we know, his parents were the ones that started up the zoo. And so, it started off fairly small. But, as Irwin's fame grew and the popularity of the zoo grew more and more, so did the size and scale of the zoo. It is now 76 acres and it is home to many endangered and exotic species.

69. Steve's Last Adventure

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The series The Crocodile Hunter ended its final episode of the series after Steve's death. It was a three-hour-long episode named “Steve’s Last Adventure”. American satellite and cable television channel Animal Planet ended the series by showing many of Irwin's adventures around the world as a tribute to him.

70. Bindi Was Eight When He Died

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His daughter Bindi Sue was just 8 years old when her father died. This is a monumental upheaval in a child's life when the parent and one of the two closest figures in your life is ripped away from you. The pain must have been unbearable for the whole family.