'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dies

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) --Colorful conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin, 44, was killed Monday by a stingray while filming an underwater documentary off the Great Barrier Reef.

The charismatic Animal Planet TV star, known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was shooting a segment for a series titled "Ocean's Deadliest" at Batt Reef off the coast of Australia's Queensland state when he swam too close to a stingray, according to media reports. The Associated Press quoted John Stainton, a friend and colleague of Irwin's who was aboard Irwin's boat at the time, as saying Irwin came on top of the stingray and the animal's tail barb went up and into his chest and "put a hole in his heart."

According to reports, crew members called emergency services in Cairns and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby island to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later, Stainton said.

The stingray is one of the least dangerous creatures Irwin routinely came into contact with. Stingrays have a toxic barb on their tails. People can get stung when they step on or get too close to a stingray. While the injuries can be painful, they are rarely fatal. Irwin, from Melbourne, Australia, was an enthusiastic showman catapulted to international celebrity when his television program "Crocodile Hunter" was picked up by the Discovery network in 1992. He also had his own feature film and developed the wildlife park that his parents opened, Australia Zoo, into a major tourist attraction. He wrestled and rescued crocodiles, tracked deadly snakes and traveled around the world to shoot segments for Discovery's Animal Plant channel.
"The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," Stainton told reporters in Cairns. "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, 'Crocs Rule!'"

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said, "It's a huge loss to Australia. ... He was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people."

Irwin was often joined in his television episodes and films by his wife, Terri, who is from Eugene, Ore. The couple had two children, daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, 2.

Isk apa moralnya dari berita ni? Emm berita ni juga menjadi sebahagian kegemparan di Malaysia, emmramai juga rakyat Malaysia yang minat dengan dia ni rupanya.. dan tak hairan la jika kematian beliau menjadi fenomena kecil (di cetuskan oleh media?) di Malaysia..

Emm persoalannya :

1. Tidak adakah sorang yang macam Steve irwin ni di Malaysia? Seorang yang begitu komited dengan kerjaya, minat nya hingga sanggup mati kernanya.?
2. Kalau ada pun sorang rakyat Malaysia yang sanggup menjadi macam beliau, adakah dia akan popular macam ni? dan kalau lah orang itu sorang Melayu! adakah dia boleh cari makan dengan membuat rencana dan dokumentari tentang haiwan.. tanpa pengkhususan la.. kiranya subjek terbuka..adakah beliau akan di sanjung?
3. Adakah orang Malaysia dan Melayu khususnya sanggup cari makan dengan mengeluarkan modal utk membeli kamera dan peralatan sebagainya, dan sanggup membuat rencana dan dokumentari secara solo atau satu kumpulan yang kecil dan membuat kajian tentang rencana dan dokumentarinya..?

hu hu hu.. apa kena dengan aku ni..?