Steve Irwin?

Simply touching the stingray isnt going to affect you. What happened to him was the tail got him in the chest and punctured his heart. He then pulled the tail out, passed out, and died from blood loss. I dont know if the poison would have killed him had he left it in.

The barb had punctured his heart

and--in the final analysis of it all

doctors have said--his removing the barb in that last move

is the fatal blow

If the barb had been left in-- and he could have been delivered to hospital care quickly---he could have survived

The removal of the barb--allowed the hole to hemorage big time and he bled to death in the matter of moments

Sad day for the world--this--

we all have lost an amazing personality and a true lover of life and the creatures that inhabit the earth

i will never forget the image of steve irwin talking to the camera while sharks were in a feeding frenzy all around him while he stood in the water...the guy was a crazy kook but he was fascinating, funny and very entertaining...i kind of felt one day his luck would run out the way he took risks dealing with wildlife but i would never have guessed it would take a stingray to be the culprit....my condolences to his friends and family....he was one of a kind and his legacy will continue as his shows run on animal planet

He pulled it out. Maybe if he'd left it in he wouldn't have bled so much. The barb would have acted like a cork rather than a faucet. Of course, the poison was immediately released into his blood stream and went directly to his brain (the brain gets the blood right after the heart muscle gets it). I enjoyed his shows and learned a lot about wildlife from them.

He pulled the stinger out to try to save himself. Someone on tv said that might have been a mistake. Wonder if he'd still be alive if he left the stinger in his chest?

Heard he pulled it out, then died...He did'nt just touch it's back, the barb, or tail came up and pierced his chest. I feel bad about it too, such a tragedy, but when it's your time to go...He was doing something he loved.

Here's a link to the actual event just released (the sound level's kinda low)::

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1945368730...

Apparently he did have enough final strength to remove the barb before dying

Again, HAVE SOME RESPECT

Do a little research before posting such a question. It's not hard.

He was stabbed by a barb and the ones you pet at the aquarium have their barbs trimmed so they can't hurt you.