Steve Irwin, Wildlife Master, Is Killed by a Stingray at 44 (Published 2006)

Steve Irwin, the khaki-clad wildlife stalker who won global fame with his televised death-defying crocodile stunts and whose booming voice made “Crikey!” in a ripe Australian accent an international catchword, was killed by a stingray yesterday while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia’s northeast coast. He was 44.

Witnesses said he apparently died of cardiac arrest after the stingray attack.

Mr. Irwin was on location in the area to film television segments, including material for “The Ocean’s Deadliest.” Witnesses on his boat, Croc One, and on a nearby diving vessel said that when he came close to a stingray, its barb pierced his chest and lodged in his heart.

In an interview with reporters in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard termed the death “a huge loss to Australia,” and called Mr. Irwin “a wonderful character.”

“He was a passionate environmentalist,” Mr. Howard added.

Mr. Irvin’s television shows, including “The Crocodile Hunter,” were seen in more than 100 countries on cable television, and he was an ebullient staple of American talk shows ranging from “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to “Live With Regis and Kelly.” He customarily appeared in his trademark hiking boots and khaki shorts and shirt, commenting volubly on animal conservation and showing clips of his fearless exploits, which included leaping on the backs of crocodiles, wrestling with boas and mastering poisonous snakes and spiders.

Dr. Leo Smith, an expert on venomous fishes in the department of ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, said that although Mr. Irwin had no scientific degree and some scientists criticized his theatrics and hyperbole, “he could be considered a biologist rather than just a television personality.”