I was driving home from the cottage yesterday and heard the shocking news on the radio that one of my favorite icons died while filming off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia over the weekend. Even in the moment that I am typing this post I am
still in disbelief !! Steve Irwin was killed Sunday when he swam over a stingray and was stung by its barb in the chest, dying instantly from the fatal hole struck into his heart by the ray. At this time I can only think of his two young children, Bindi and Robert, as well as his vibrant wife Terri Irwin. Given my age, it may strike some people suprised that I am such a huge fan of the Crocodile Hunter but I have been a huge fan of his for as long as I can remember. If someone was to ask me what my dream vacation was I would tell them that I have always dreamed of going to the Queensland's Sunshine Coast in Australia just so I could go to the Australia Zoo and meet Mr. Steve Irwin, the amazing Crocodile Hunter. I have an Australian friend who has told me stories of Steve's Australian Zoo and how one just cannot contemplate the sheer size of Steve's Croc's (especially Augie) without seeing them face to face. I have always admired Steve Irwin in his quest to educate the public on the importance of animals, their inhabitance and most importantly the role they serve on our dear planet. I am still and will most likely remain in shock for some time over this tragic news. My thoughts are with his family and close friends. Here is a snip-it of an article posted today by the press :
Australia's prime minister has paid tribute to conservationist Steve Irwin as a "great Australian icon," a day after he was killed by a stingray in a freak underwater accident. Speaking Tuesday in parliament, John Howard praised Irwin as a remarkable and genuine individual, whose bizarre and tragic death left him distressed.
Irwin's body was flown back to his home region Tuesday on the Australian state of Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Hundreds of fans left flowers and other mementos at a makeshift shrine outside the Australia Zoo that he established near his home. The U.S. embassy in Canberra says Irwin was in many ways an unofficial Australian ambassador to the United States. The embassy says Irwin's humor and sense of adventure represented what Americans find most appealing about Australia's way of life. Australia's Queensland State Premier Peter Beattie says Irwin will be honored with a state funeral if his family agrees.