Interesting posts that stress a few things.

1. You never know when your time is up.
2. In the years I've learned not to judge. No, I would have not held my child when feeding a gator, but I am not Steve Irwin, and would not judge him if he decided to.
3. I've swam with the stingrays in the cayman islands, and caught my fair share of very large stingrays fishing in Tampa Bay. I show them respect and give them a wide berth. (and I've seen what a barb can do - OUCH!)
4. I think statistically the chance of getting killed by stingray is pretty darn small.
5. If you are dead, it doesn't really matter how you got there.

R.I.P. Steve - My prayers are with your family.

I suppose it's morbid curiousity, but I want to see the video. Not so much to see him die, but I suspect that it will be a good death of a good man (as "good" as it ever can be.)

I hope it doesn't get out - I hope his kids never have the opportunity to witness. I think the only time your child should witness a parents death is if they are in the room holding their hand when they die. And only when they are old enough to handle it - and his kids are too young.

Apparently it was Steve Irwin's wish for the cameras to roll even if something was happening to him. His family is going to honor his wishes, and the video will play on Aussie TV.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news_detail.html?sku=384

Well, there you have it then... Look - there's daddy with barb in his chest...

Sick, sick, sick.

The truth many don't like to face is that life will go on without them. Irwin's wife will remarry and the kids will likely have the support of other males in the family in the interim.

Certainly, I can respect the notion of throttling back to be there for your kids, but I can also respect the person who wants to live his life to the fullest -- or who feels he is serving a higher purpose like our soldiers in the ME.

the dude was a crazy badass. i think he really opened up alot of eyes for people in terms of getting us to think of crocs (and other reptiles, and critters) as really interesting animals. and not just dangerous beast. he saved alot of animals in that zoo of his. except his lame movie, i think he did some really great things. bummer for his wife and kids. but the lucky dude died doing something cool.