Despite the passage of time, there has been an air of mystery surrounding the footage depicting Steve’s heartbreaking final words.
Renowned for his fearless encounters with dangerous animals like crocodiles, snakes, and sharks, Steve’s untimely demise was documented due to his unwavering belief in the importance of continuous filming.
According to his IMDb biographer Tommy Donovan, Steve always emphasized the need to keep the cameras rolling, even in the face of perilous situations.
Originally on a mission to locate tiger sharks for his show, “Ocean’s Deadliest,” Steve’s attention shifted when he encountered a massive 220lb stingray on the ocean floor near Batt Reef.
Believing it would be ideal for his daughter Bindi’s series, “Bindi the Jungle Girl,” Steve and Justin Lyons ventured into the water, expecting the ray to swim away peacefully as they approached.
Contrary to their expectations, the stingray stood its ground and lashed out as Steve passed over it, delivering multiple fatal strikes with its sharp tail within seconds.
Unaware of the severity of the situation, Justin continued to film until he saw Steve covered in blood, signaling that something had gone terribly wrong.
Despite being in excruciating pain from the stingray’s venom, Steve was swiftly brought back onto their boat as they raced towards safety aboard Croc One.
Concerned about a potential punctured lung, the crew applied pressure to Steve’s chest wound while he slipped into shock, struggling to breathe due to the venom’s effects.
Once on Croc One, another cameraman took over filming duties while Justin administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Steve for an hour until paramedics confirmed his passing.
Amidst the chaos, Steve managed to utter his poignant last words to Justin, calmly stating, “I’m dying,” before succumbing to his injuries.
Following the tragic incident, the footage of Steve’s final moments was handed over to Queensland Police for investigation purposes.
Speculation arose regarding the potential public airing of the footage, but Discovery Communications clarified that it would not be broadcast.
John Stainton, the producer who bore witness to the tragedy, advocated against its release.
In a poignant reflection on the events that transpired, Terri Irwin, Steve’s widow, disclosed her decision to destroy the tape containing the distressing footage without ever viewing it.
She expressed her relief that their children were not present during the tragedy and vehemently opposed the exploitation of Steve’s death for public consumption.
Despite rumors of an existing copy tucked away in a police storage facility, both Terri and Justin maintain that the footage should remain unseen out of respect for Steve’s memory and his grieving family.
The poignant legacy of Steve Irwin lives on through his enduring impact on wildlife conservation and his unwavering dedication to protecting the natural world.
