Crocodile Hunter Dies in Freak Accident

News has just broken here that Steve Irwin, better known globally as the Crocodile Hunter, has died in a freak accident off the coast of Queensland.

He was filming a documentary intended to 'demystify' the stingray when one struck him in the chest with its barb. Apparently the barb hit him in the heart and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

It's only the third ever recorded death from a stingray attack in Australia - had he been hit anywhere else in the body, chances are he would have survived.

Irwin was one of Australia's most valued ambassadors, a larger-than-life character who earned worldwide recognition as both a TV star and environmentalist.

His death is a huge loss for Australia and the cause of wildlife in general.