Steve Irwin could have been SAVED if he hadn’t pulled out Stingray barb from his chest, US doctor claims
A doctor viewing footage of Steve Irwin's death in 2006 reportedly made the extraordinary claim
IT'S been 11 years since Steve Irwin tragically died after a stingray barb pierced his heart, but now one US doctor has made an extraordinary claim the crocodile hunter "didn’t have to die".
Dr Gabe Mirkin has questioned the circumstances surrounding the death of the 44-year-old presenter after viewing footage of his final moments, reported.
The doctor, who never treated the conservationist, claimed the animal enthusiast could have been saved if he hadn't hastily pulled the stingray barb from his chest.
He reportedly told : "The stingray tail effectively acted as a plug, and the second he removed it he bled to death.
"Steve Irwin didn't have to die."
His comments have allegedly left Steve's wife Terri "going through hell".
Steve Irwin died while filming a documentary on the ocean’s deadliest creatures on the Gold Coast in 2006.
Steve's cameraman Justin Lyon, who witnessed the wildlife expert being fatally stabbed by a stingray hundreds of times in a few seconds, told how his last words were “I’m dying”.
The pair had finished filming except for a final shot, which was to be the stingray swimming away from dad-of-two Irwin in shallow water in far north Queensland, Australia.
But the 2.4 metre ray suddenly struck out; possibly thinking Irwin’s shadow was a predatory tiger shark.
Recalling the tragedy, Lyons said: “I had the camera on. I thought this is going to be a great shot.
“All of sudden it propped on its front and started stabbing wildly, hundreds of strikes in a few seconds.
“I panned with the camera as the stingray swam away and I didn’t know it had caused any damage. It was only when I panned the camera back that I saw Steve standing in a huge pool of blood.
“The stingray barb didn’t come out. Steve didn’t pull it out. It’s a jagged barb and it went through his chest like hot butter.”
The stingray attack and medical treatment were all captured on film, but have never been released.
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Steve Irwin was survived by wife Terri, son Robert and daughter Bindi.
In 2015, his son Robert was seen feeding a crocodile on Australia's Steve Irwin Day, November 15.
The event at Australia Zoo – which was established in 1970 by Irwin’s parents – raises money for wildlife conservation work.
Terri took to Twitter to remember her late husband, who she says "lives on in Robert", on the momentous day.
Robert was just two years old when his famous dad passed away.
The star, who was nicknamed The Crocodile Hunter - first hit TV screens in 1996 - and enjoyed a decade of worldwide fame before his death.
Steve's teen daughter Bindi was filmed wrestling an enormous 15ft crocodile just like her famous father, last year.
Robert, who has also been following in his late father's footsteps, previously said that the family keep his memory alive by watching home movies and documentaries of him.
He was nominated for a kid’s Emmy for his work on TV series Wild But True.
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