catmanron says it well from the Oz perspective, though all the comments here are smart IMO. a freak accident occurred, wouldn't you know it, and the poor guy was instantly caught between a rock and hard spot (ironically, so too was the stingray in its own mind's eye I bet). Not sure whether Irwin and his cameraman inadvertently "crowded" the ray or not, but we all know it would not have been intentional or born of ignorance if it did occur as such. it's just "one of those things", sadly enough.
Steve should be remembered for all the good and joy he brought the world, especially his promotion and defense of the animal kingdom that - let's face it - now sits at our mercy. He was a showman and avid enthusiast into the bargain, but underlying it all was an expertise in that field of endeavor. He was rightly admired the world over because of it. When folks like Jim Fowler and Jack Hanna pay him the kind of props they did, you realize he was no mere invention for the cameras, but a worthy defender of the wildlife he loved, and an ambassador for conservation causes the world over. Everything beyond that in his persona was icing on the top, so why the need by some to criticize the poor guy for that secondary aspect? After all, it's what got folks to sit up and pay attention to him and the causes he believed in, just as he wanted. And it worked, while it lasted.
RIP SI
PS. Can't agree with the comparison to Tony Treadwill, with all due respect MNIA. While I realize that TT loved the bears he was studying just as Steve loved his crocs, Tony showed an almost insane disregard for his own safety, against all protests from those around him who knew better. In his case, it was not a matter of if, but when. Steve was in no way reckless in his approach or methodologies. Everything he did was strictly by calculation and experience. TT unfortunately bought into his own myth of invincibility, one that was born of the notion that bears were mostly "party animals" not fully understood or even terribly dangerous to humans when approached and treated right. As all knew otherwise, and he came to learn the hard way, they are not. Like Irwin, Treadwill did a lot of good for the causes he believed in, that's true. He was certainly an accomplished observer in that field of study and had guts beyond compare, but his lack of a defensive posture or recourse in the case something went wrong was just plain stupid. It not only cost him his life, it cost the life of his girlfriend too who already thought he had gone over the edge, and was desirous to get out of there for good. As it turned out, she missed her opportunity by one bloody day.
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