Steve Irwin died of what pretty much anyone who paid attention might have imagined he would die of: an accident involving a wild animal.

CROCODILE Hunter Steve Irwin has died after a stringray barb caught him in the chest.

The 44-year-old international TV star was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the incident happened.

Ambulance officers received a call to a reef fatality this morning at Batt Reef.  The Queensland Ambulance Service said the call was received about 11am and an emergency services helicopter was flown to the boat with a doctor and emergency services paramedic on board.

Irwin had a puncture wound to the left side of his chest and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Irwin leaves his wife Terri and young children Bob and and Bindi.

I liked watching Irwin, although I also thought that he was insane. The effortless way that he handled the most dangerous of animals, the flip manner he displayed, spoke more of derangement than bravery. Which I kind of liked.

He was funny, enthusiastic, and charismatic; the kind of larger-than-life personality that can make television compelling.

What is most tragic is that his wife was on a trip and has yet to be told of her husband’s death; I hope she doesn’t learn it from the headlines of some daily newspaper.

Rest in peace, Steve Irwin, and thanks for the insanity.

Read the story.

Update: Mr. Lady has much the same thoughts (though written in her own special way.)

Another Update: I agree with my friend, Trench, on this: the video of Steve Irwin’s death will be leaked and it will be exploited by people willing to capitalize on someone else’s grief to make an easy buck. And Irwin’s wife and family will be the ones that lose the most.

The man died in a freak accident; we don’t have any need to see the specifics and it will do none of us any good to see the tape released (whether leaked onto the Internet or shown on a local newscast).