Steve Irwin’s tragic death shocked the world thirteen years ago after he was stung by a stingray.
The TV personality, known for his brave nature by taking on snakes, crocodiles and sharks, was filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in far north Queensland when he was attacked by an eight-foot-wide stingray.
Since his passing, the cameraman who was filming Steve during his last moments has discussed what happened and how the famous zoo keeper was stabbed by the cartilaginous fish.
Recalling the tragedy, Justin Lyons shared Steve’s final moments on Australian TV in 2014.
Cameraman Justin Lyons wept on Australian TV as he told how Irwin battled to stay alive as they tried to race him to shore.
He told how he was in the water with Irwin on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef when he was stabbed “hundred of times” by the stingray before a final deadly blow punctured his heart.
Lyons revealed Irwin’s last moment when the fish used it’s wings to prop itself up to stab him with it’s poisonous tail.
“All of a sudden it propped on its front and started stabbing wildly with its tail, hundreds of strikes in a few seconds,” Mr Lyons said.
The cameraman said he did not realise anything was wrong with his friend at first, as he was filming the stingray swim away.
(Image: Getty)
“It wasn’t until I panned the camera back and saw that Steve was standing in a huge pool of blood that I realised something had gone wrong.”
He managed to get the injured wildlife expert back onto the boat, where he saw the extent of his injuries.
“He had a two-inch-wide injury over his heart with blood and fluid coming out of it and we had to get him back to the boat as fast as we can,” the documentary contributor added.
As they tried to reach land by motorboat, Lyons told he kept telling Irwin to “think of your kids “think of your wife”.
Irwin then looked back up at him and quietly said: “I am dying.”
Wildlife conservationist Steve has left a phenomenal legacy behind.
The Australian star was born in the suburbs of sunny Melbourne, Australia in 1962 to Lyn and Bob Irwin who gifted him an eleven-foot python on his sixth birthday.
The Irwins then moved to the Sunshine Coast in the Australian State of Queensland where they opened Beerwah Reptile Park.
He was able to learn how to wrestle with crocodiles from the tender age of nine and was involved in all aspects of managing his family’s park, which was eventually renamed, Australia Zoo.
The zoo was soon taken over by Irwin and it wasn’t long before he met his future wife, Terri, when she was visiting.
(Image: Getty)
They enjoyed a honeymoon capturing crocodiles and the footage they shot was the first episode of The Crocodile Hunter which became a hit show, seen in over 100 countries by over 500 million people.
Steve and Terri hosted the show together and their two children, Bindi and Robert became fixtures on the show too.
In 2001, the Australian government awarded Steve the Centenary Medal for a lifetime of service and in 2004 he was nominated for Australian of the Year.
His many accomplishments include the discovery of a new species of snapping turtle and in 2018 he was posthumously awarded a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame.
His legacy lives on through the celebration of Steve Irwin Day on November 15, including fundraising events to benefit the Australia Zoo’s Wildlife Warriors program. Speaking of his legacy his wife Terri said: “Today we continue his mission by working to overturn recent legislation in Queensland which allows crocodile egg harvesting from vulnerable crocs in the wild to support the commercial leather trade. Steve’s legacy will definitely live on.”
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