Steve Irwin was globally known for his endearing personality and as an expert in wildlife. His love for nature defined his life, and he was able to spread more awareness worldwide once he gained more popularity.
Unfortunately, the Australian Steve Irwin left us when he died on September 4, 2006, when he lost his life in an unfortunate accident. How?
Steve Irwin was stung by a stingray. Below, we will discuss the exact moment of Steve Irwin’s death. A little-known fact about Steve Irwin’s death is that the family tried having the tape destroyed.
Summary
The most interesting fact about this event is that in the moment of Steve Irwin’s death, he was still filming a video for his children’s nature series. A stingray striked him in his chest, and that’s how the Crocodile Hunter died. The crew did their best to assist and help him, but his situation got worse.
If you’re wondering, “what happened to Steve Irwin,” we’ll answer it right here.
Table of Contents
- What happened to Steve Irwin & when did he die?
- A stingray is what killed Steve Irwin
- He died on September 4, 2006
- The death video is available here.
- He was buried on September 9, 5 days after his death.
What happened to Steve Irwin & when did he die?
What happened to Steve Irwin is that a stingray barb stung him in the chest.
It happened in 2006, on September 4. The crocodile hunter was filming a video on the Great Barrier Reef with his team and producer, John Stainton. They were creating a children’s nature series that his daughter would eventually present at Batt Reef.
Justin Lyons, his cameraman, helped shed light on what happened. He performed CPR on Steve, although with no success.
Steve Irwin encountered one of the ocean’s deadliest animals, a stingray that he started following. With a span of 6.5 feet, this stingray is one of the largest aquatic creatures in the world, so it sparked a lot of interest. However, the stingray landed several strikes on his chest. It ultimately killed him.
You can get started watching the show for free through the link below.
Pros
- Cancel before your trial runs out, and it’ll be completely free.
Cons
- Forget to cancel the trial, and you’ll end up paying. You better set a reminder!
A stingray is what killed Steve Irwin
The crew was filming a television show, searching for a tiger shark. They couldn’t find one, so they all agreed to settle for a stingray intended for a separate project. This creature had an 8-foot width, so the footage was expected to be impressive.
Steve Irwin started swimming towards it, with the camera in his hand. They wanted to capture a scene where the stingray swam away, but nobody predicted the disaster that happened next. Instead of swimming away, this stingray stabbed Steve in his chest and severely injured him. Eventually, he died soon after.
He died on September 4, 2006
When & how did Steve Irwin die? He died on September 4, 2006, as a result of being stung in the chest by a stingray. He was swimming with his film crew off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland.
Bad weather caused a change of plans for the crew. Eventually, they decided to film in shallow waters to provide better footage. It led to an encounter with a massive stingray that killed Steve Irwin with multiple tail stabs.
The news broke, and the world was devastated. His anniversary is remembered each year with vast tributes.
There are even Instagram fan accounts to honor his memory, including countless articles online.
The death video is available here.
There’s footage of Steve Irwin’s death video, but it’s pretty blurry.
The cameraman recorded the unfortunate event. The footage was attempted deleted later at the request of his wife, Terri.
The Irwin family did not want to release the death tape publicly for personal reasons, although it was shared with police & the authorities to help the investigation. It helps shed light on what happened.
They did not manage to delete the death video, which was leaked and can be seen below.
He was buried on September 9, 5 days after his death.
On September 9, 2006, the family and friends of Steve Irwin held a private funeral service in Caloundra. At the Australia Zoo, the grave is inaccessible to visitors.
The Australian government offered to hold a special state funeral. Still, the family declined this offer as they knew he wanted to be remembered as an ordinary man.
His own mistake led to his death, and he could have survived.
A doctor shared his opinion after analyzing the incident that happened on September 4, 2006. After getting stung by the stingray, Steve Irvin hastily pulled out the barb from his chest, which was the cause of his death. The stingray acted as a plug, and he bled to death once he removed it.
If he didn’t remove it from his chest, the survival chances would have been higher. However, the stingray stabbed him in the heart. It made things more complicated. Of course, it’s only speculation as no one can truly know what would have happened. We wish the death of Steve Irwin had been avoided!
His wife, Terri, never remarried after becoming a widow.
She insisted that she was too busy to look for another romantic partner and that the love story lived with Steve was just enough to last for a lifetime. She raised the kids by herself after her husband died in 2006.
Terri is now a grandmother, as Bindi gave birth to a daughter in 2021.
There’s a Steve Irwin Funko Pop!
Funko Pop! TV: Crocodile Hunter – Vinyl Figure
Your house might be full of decorations. However, a vinyl figure portraying the crocodile hunter can always have a special place on the shelf. This product is a great addition to your collection, especially if you are a fan of the Australian.
A special limited edition, this vinyl figure is holding a turtle. It makes it more unique. There are so many products created in the memory of Steve Irwin, but this figure might be the best you will ever see!
| Brand | Funko |
| Age Range (Description) | Not appropriate for children under the age of 3 yrs |
| Item Weight | 4.8 ounces |
| Material | Vinyl |
| Product Dimensions | 2.5″L x 2.5″W x 3.75″H |
Pros
- It’s such a cute figurine.
- It’s a great gift.
- The packaging is nice.
- It showed up the exact way we had hoped.
Cons
- Some people get turtles instead of him holding a crocodile.
