Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin dead*

By staff writers

September 04, 2006 02:14pm

THE Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, is dead.

He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said today.

It is understood he was killed by a stingray barb that went through his
chest.

He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater
documentary when the tragedy occured.

Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality this morning
at Batt Reef off Port Douglas.

Irwin's body is being flown to Cairns.

It is believed his American-born wife Terri is trekking on Cradle
Mountain in Tasmania and is yet to be told of her husband's death.

Irwin - known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter - is famous for his
enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!".

The father of two's Crocodile Hunter program was first broadcast in 1992
and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.

He has also starred in movies and has developed the Australia Zoo
wildlife park, north of Brisbane, which was started by his parents Bob
and Lyn Irwin.

Tributes have already started pouring in for the larger-than-life character.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family
at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr
Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.

Irwin was heavily involved in last year's "G'Day LA" campaign.

"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative
of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," a spokesman said.

A Tourism Queensland spokeswoman said the death was shocking and paid
tribute to Irwin's "enormous contribution" to his adopted state.

Louise Yates said it was impossible to quantify how much Mr Irwin had
meant to the Queensland tourism industry.

"I don't think we could even estimate how much he brought us through his
personality and his profile and his enthusiasm about Queensland," she said.

"It would be difficult to estimate how much he was worth. And it would
be difficult to underestimate."

She said Irwin had been a larger-than-life ambassador.

"It's not just what he brought but what he took with him when he
travelled, his passion."

Australia Zoo, on southeast Queensland's Sunshine Coast, employs more
than 500 people and attracts thousands of visitors every day.

But Ms Yates said it would be "unfair and unjust" to put a dollar value
on Irwin's worth to the state, because of how much he had given.

With The Courier Mail and AAP