The final words of Steve Irwin were captured on film and have since been shared by his long-time friend and camera operator.
The late Steve Irwin tragically died aged 44 in 2006. Credit: SGranitz/WireImage/Getty Images
Justin Lyon, a close friend of the iconic Crocodile Hunter, collaborated with Steve Irwin on several projects, including Ocean’s Deadliest, which took place on the Great Barrier Reef in 2006. This was the ill-fated documentary where Irwin tragically lost his life.
The pair had been out on the water when they encountered a massive stingray and decided to begin filming. However, the situation took a tragic turn when Irwin, eager to capture “one last shot” of the creature, moved closer. It was at that moment the stingray struck, delivering a series of blows to his chest with its tail, hitting him “hundreds of times in just a few seconds.”
Steve Irwin passed away in 2006. Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty
Initially, it was believed that the stingray’s barb had only punctured a lung. However, after further examination, it was determined that the stingray had struck Steve Irwin’s heart.
In an emotional interview with Australia’s Studio 10, Lyon recalled the traumatic moment: “I had the camera ready, thinking it would make for an incredible shot. But then, suddenly, the stingray propped itself up and began stabbing Steve with its tail.”
“There were hundreds of strikes in just a few seconds,” he continued.
Lyon vividly remembered the moment, saying, “[The sting] went through his chest like a hot knife through butter,” as the crew scrambled to apply pressure to the wound while desperately rushing Irwin to the nearest medical facility.
He further explained, “It probably mistook Steve’s shadow for that of a tiger shark, which regularly preys on stingrays, prompting the attack.”
“As we made our way back, I was shouting at one of the other crew members on the boat, urging them to apply pressure to the wound. We kept telling Steve, ‘Think of your kids, Steve, hold on, hold on, hold on,'” Lyon recalled, desperate to encourage Irwin to summon strength despite the gravity of his injuries.
But in a calm voice, Irwin looked up and simply said, “I’m dying.” Those were his final words, Lyon said.
Tragically, Irwin was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
“We kept hoping for a miracle. I performed CPR on him for over an hour before the paramedics arrived, but they pronounced him dead within seconds of assessing him,” Lyon shared.
At 44 years old, Irwin had insisted that the crew continue filming the incident. The footage was later handed over to the authorities for an investigation.
Once the investigation concluded, all copies of the distressing footage were destroyed, except for one, which was given to his wife, Terri Irwin.
Steve Irwin poses with his family at Australia Zoo on June 19, 2006, a month before his death. Credit: Australia Zoo/Getty
In a 2018 interview with You Magazine, an emotional Terri Irwin, Steve’s wife, expressed her heartbreak: “After Steve passed, 100 million viewers watched a video of his death that was uploaded to YouTube.”
She went on to say, “The footage was a complete fabrication, preying on people’s grief. I’ve never watched the real video. Why would I? I already know how my husband died. I was just relieved the children weren’t on the boat that day, as they often would have been—it would have been unbearable for them to witness it.”
John Stainton, another close friend and collaborator of Irwin, also spoke out, emphasizing that the footage of Steve’s death would “never see the light of day” and confessed that he regretted ever watching it himself.
