'Crocodile Hunter' cameraman: Footage of Steve Irwin death is private. By By Rene Lynch. Mar 10, 2014 at 4:12 PM 'I'm dying.' Those were 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin's final words, according to. Stainton described the footage, which he had seen, as 'shocking.' At Australia Zoo in Beerwah, flowers and cards were dropped at the entrance Monday as news of Irwin’s death spread.
The cameraman who filmed the death of Steve Irwin has revealed how the Australian 'Crocodile Hunter' was stabbed '100 times' by a stingray within seconds.
Irwin, famous for his daring stunts with dangerous animals, was filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland in 2006 when he died.
Justin Lyons was shooting the footage with the 44-year-old TV personality and conservationist when the pair came across an 8ft-wide stingray in chest-high waters.
Speaking for the first time about Irwin's death, Mr Lyons told of how the final shot was to be of the flat marine fish swimming away from Irwin when it all went tragically wrong.
The pair had just left their main boat in an inflatable to find something to film when they spotted the stingray.
Youtube Steve Irwin Death Footage
'I had the camera on, I thought this is going to be a great shot, and all of sudden it propped on its front and started stabbing wildly, hundreds of strikes in a few seconds,' Mr Lyons told Australia's Channel Ten.
'I panned with the camera as the stingray swam away and I didn't know it had caused any damage. It was only when I panned the camera back that I saw Steve standing in a huge pool of blood that I realised something had gone wrong.'
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Stingrays have several sharp and venomous barbs on their tails that they use to defend themselves when they feel threatened.
Mr Lyons denied reports that a barb had stuck in Irwin's chest and he pulled it out.
'It's a jagged barb and it went through his chest like a hot knife through butter,' he said.
'He had a two-inch-wide injury over his heart with blood and fluid coming out of it and we had to get him back to the boat as fast as we can.
'I was saying to him things like 'think of your kids Steve, hang on, hang on, hang on', and he calmly looked up at me and said 'I'm dying' and that was the last thing he said.'
Footage of the tragic death was later handed to Irwin's widow Terri and has never been aired.
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'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin died in 2006, but his legacy lives on through his surviving children, Bindi and Robert, and wife Terri, who continue to run the Australia Zoo founded by his parents. In fact, when Bindi was celebrating her first Mother's Day in 2021, she posted a portrait on Instagram that featured her dearly departed father holding baby girl Grace, noting, 'I wish we could all be together but sometimes life has other plans.' The dedicated animal rights activist told The Bump, 'I want to make sure our baby girl gets to know my dad and thankfully we have many documentaries and photos we can share with her. I think she'll love getting to watch footage of Dad working with all kinds of animals and learning about his legacy.'
General interest in the legendary Crocodile Hunter remains high, too, with Aussie site Woman's Day reporting in May 2021 that the long-rumored biopic about him is still in the works, with major celebs including Russell Crowe and Chris Hemsworth vying for the lead role. There was a global outpouring of grief when Steve died at the early age of 44 following a deadly encounter with a stingray midway through shooting a wildlife documentary in Queensland. Although his life was an open book, wife Terri made it clear that, when it comes to Steve's final resting place, fans will be left wanting.
The Crocodile Hunter's final wishes were honored accordingly
Australia Steve Irwin Death Footage
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, stories circulated in the aftermath of Steve Irwin's death that claimed he had been buried within the confines of the Australia Zoo, in Queensland, or alternatively cremated. The ceremonial trappings allegedly included a crocodile. There were also suggestions his remains had been fed to crocodiles which his wife, Terri, shot down as 'baseless' and 'offensive.' According to Steve's father, Bob, discussion of the burial is 'strictly taboo.' He noted, 'The only person who is likely to talk is Terri. You would have to get the OK before I said anything.” A family friend claimed Terri made her husband's allegedly unconventional last wishes clear and was in charge of everything.
Steve Irwin Death Footage Clear
Steve reportedly considered himself not important enough for a state funeral. Instead, the ceremony took place at the zoo, with decoys utilized to throw the media off the scent at the time. His body arrived by car at Australia Zoo, leading many to believe the beloved conservationist was buried there. There was also a BBQ and a marquee set up at one stage, seemingly hinting that Steve's wake took place on the property, too. In a subsequent interview, Terri advised simply, ”Steve had particular wishes for after he died and I carried out his particular wishes.' She added, ”He lived life so big that he just wanted some personal privacy at that point, and I gave him that. So, there's just a handful of people who will ever know.”