Steve Irwin (1962-2006)

Steve Irwin, better known to millions as the "Crocodile Hunter" was killed today by a stingray! I would've put money on crocodile (as "Hollywood" as that ending would have been) or poisonous snake, but this just sounds like the freakiest of accidents. Different media reports say that there are only between 2 and 4 recorded deaths in Australia from stingrays and only 15 or so in the world. Apparently, he was swimming over the stingray, while his cameraman was in front of it. The stingray became frightened and swung its tail up (which can measure up to 1+ feet) puncturing the left-side of Irwin's body, and most likely his heart. Death was reportedly instantaneous.

While I always found his crazy like a fox, he provided many hours of educational entertainment (if you can call wrestling wild animals such) that would have instead been wasted [by me] on much more trivial pursuits on Sunday afternoons (The Patriot with Steve Seagal on TNT anyone?). Although very few people have compared the two, I do think that Jacques Cousteau and Steve Irwin were cut from the same cloth. Nature lovers who shared their passion with the world.