Steve Irwin, R.I.P.

Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, has passed away. He was snorkeling in an area of Australia's Great Barrier Reef when he swam too close to a sting ray. The startled sting ray threw up it's tail spike and unfortunately caught Irwin in the chest. It's a horrible freak accident in many ways. While sting rays have a razor-sharp tail spine, they are not aggressive - given a choice, they would rather flee. Their tails are used reflexively when attacked or when stepped on. Unfortunately they tend to lie in shallow, sandy waters, and are often submerged with only eyes and/or tail visible. Given this scenario, usually humans are stung in the foot, after accidentally stepping on a ray, and stings cause pain and inflammation. Deaths are rare (17 deaths in the last 10 years) and occur because of severed arteries, or punctures of vital structures. The human chest, given the many ribs, is relatively well-designed to protect the heart and the lungs. However, the spike most likely entered from below the sternum up towards the heart to have caused death.

Irwin's death is a great loss to the world on many levels. He was a great TV personality, a champion for environmental/animal causes, and left behind a young family. His life and his death teach us to be careful, respect wildlife and nature, and live life to the fullest. Rest in peace.