When you Play With Fire…
September 8th, 2006
eventually you get burned. This is a pretty straightforward lesson - one that we all learn at a fairly early age. Even my 4 1/2 year old, daredevil son knows that if you stick your hand in a dog’s mouth, you’ve got a good chance of walking away with a bite.
So why is it that the world is shocked at the passing of Aussie croc-hunter, Steve Irwin? I am not trying to sound insensitive or callous towards the grief of his family. What I don’t understand is the “floored” responses, or the people saying “what a shock” or “it was a freak accident“.
How can this come as such a surprise to so many? The guy defied death on a daily basis. It would have been a shock, or a “freak accident” if a helicopter fell on his head. Or if I got stung in the chest by a stingray - that would be a surprise. But when you tempt wild animals continually, eventually you get bit - or stung.
September 8th, 2006 at 10:14 am
I don’t think the lesson “when you play with fire” really applies to this situation. He didn’t just get “burned.” The dude got pierced in the heart and died.
From what I hear, that’s a pretty rare and freakish occurrence. I think I read that there have been less than 20 stingray related fatalities ever recorded.
September 8th, 2006 at 10:18 am
When you play with fire you get burned…
When you play with sharks, you get eaten.
How many times was he bitten by venemous snakes, or otherwise narrowly escaped death?
It was all a matter of time.
September 8th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
I dunno man. Hundreds of tourists swim with stingrays every day. Getting fatally stung by one is extremely rare.
I don’t think most people are surprised that he died in the wild - I think it was the way in which he was killed that is so shocking, and actually ironic.
Stingrays are widely considered to be non-aggressive and safe to swim with. For a guy that is used to wrestling crocodiles and hunting venomous snakes, getting killed by a stingray might as well be the same as having a helicopter fall on his head.
September 8th, 2006 at 6:08 pm
I’m pretty sure he was only bitten by a venomous snake once, he used to boast that he never was but I remember an episode on discovery recently where the tagline had something to do with him getting bit.
I think it’s a combination of things it was fun to watch a guy go jump in the water with a croc for the same reason it’s fun to watch nascar watching for the accidents. Except the thing was nothing ever happened. It also wasn’t hey I’m jumping in with the croc because I’m a badass but because I want to teach you about it so you can appreciate it and see it’s value. There’s also no denying the guy had charisma and was extremely likable.
What was really freaky was we just came back from Atlantis aquarium where we were petting stingrays in the touch tank 2 days earlier.
September 9th, 2006 at 9:51 am
One of the saddest parts of this incident is how he was there filming for his 8 yo daughter’s program.
I know there is a lot of controversy about whether they will show the footage of him pulling the barb out?
I heard a quote by Steve Irwin where he was very particular about the camera’s rolling even if he was getting his head munched up by a croc, he said he wanted to camera to show it all and keep rolling.
Ultimately, it is up to his wife as to whether or not she will allow it to be shown.
My kids were very shocked and sad about this incident because they loved Steve Irwin better than any of the other wildlife hosts.
September 10th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
Stingrays are more curious than aggressive. Take the Southern Stingray for example. That is the species found at “Stingray City” in the North Sound of Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. I’ve been there, as have thousands upon thousands of others every year, standing in waist deep water and hand feeding rays. It’s a magical experience. I think in fifteen years only a single diver has been injured by a Stingray in the North Sound.
Ultimately, I agree with Jared in that Steve’s death is an irony. It’s my understanding that Steve was unknowingly snorkeling over a Bull Ray hidden under sand and Steve unintentionally cornered the Ray, which reacted by tagging Steve with a barb in the chest. He wasn’t bothering with or wrestling the Ray. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Spooking a Sting Ray hidden under the sand while snorkeling or wading into the ocean is very common. In fact it’s much more common than many people think. On average over fifteen hundred people a year are tagged by Stingray barbs _every year_ in the USA alone! I’m told it hurts like a mother trucker. Something like a copperhead bite. The venom slows healing with massive swelling and restricting vascular flow so the risk of tissue death is very real. A deep penetration with alot of venom requires major emergency surgery and debriding to prevent the loss of life or limb (sort of like compartment syndrome if you’ve ever heard of that). But fatal stings are very, very, very rare.
I think that this in part explains the impact that Steve Irwin’s death had on many people. Sure, he put his life on the line many times, but what ended his life was a casual swim in the ocean, filming footage for a children’s television program. That’s irony. It would be as if Michael Schumacher, after winning his 90th F1 race, met his death by catching fire in a child size go kart while promoting a charity event. Personally, I blame the mainstream news media for misrepresenting the event, and exploting the death and producing various “Has Wildlife TV Gone Too Far?” segments.
Sean
September 10th, 2006 at 8:57 pm
Let me get this straight. You’re asking whether his wife will agree to let the general public see him pulling a stingray barb out of his chest moments before he dies? Are you serious? Although maybe it would be good for Faces of Death 7?
September 11th, 2006 at 6:05 am
Regardless of the likelihood of the event, I still think this post is in bad taste, you insensitive prick.
September 12th, 2006 at 1:32 am
Sad to say but South Park had it about right.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8675913229538913381&q=steve+irwin&hl=en
September 15th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
Oh… I am not saying “I” think it “should” be shown necessarily. I am simply saying that some people think that.
September 16th, 2006 at 8:44 am
Further, I don’t think I could watch it if it were. Just had to add that on.
July 14th, 2007 at 12:09 am
Steve irwin was a passionate wildlife warrior it was his destiny to handle wildlife the way he did so saying that he should not have played with death as he did is useless he was an amazing person and i can guarantee that many people like me have started walking in his footsteps