Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin let it be known that, should his death come before the camera, he wanted the world to see it:

Irwin was filming for a new documentary when he lost his life, and his cameraman shot the moment when the stingray's barbed tail stabbed the legendary conservationist through the heart. The tapes are currently being held by Queensland police - but Irwin's family are determined to respect his last wishes and allow the harrowing footage to be broadcast.

Irwin once insisted, "My number one rule is to keep that camera rolling. Even if it's shaky or slightly out of focus, I don't give a rip. "Even if a big old alligator is chewing me up I want to go down and go, 'Crikey!' just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me." An insider tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "This is exactly what Steve would have wanted. He knew the dangers and was totally up for the cameras to get everything."

Benjamin Franklin used to be my favorite Australian. But then I saw Crocodile Dundee and Paul Hogan knocked Ben off the list (inventing electricity is cool and all but Paul Hogan just has a certain cachet to him). After reading about Irwin's cavalier attitude toward his own death, he's now my favorite Austrian. Right behind Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ignaz Semmelweis. RIP Steve.

let it be known that, should his death come before the camera, he wanted the world to see it:

Irwin was filming for a new documentary when he lost his life, and his cameraman shot the moment when the stingray's barbed tail stabbed the legendary conservationist through the heart. The tapes are currently being held by Queensland police - but Irwin's family are determined to respect his last wishes and allow the harrowing footage to be broadcast.

Irwin once insisted, "My number one rule is to keep that camera rolling. Even if it's shaky or slightly out of focus, I don't give a rip. "Even if a big old alligator is chewing me up I want to go down and go, 'Crikey!' just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me." An insider tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "This is exactly what Steve would have wanted. He knew the dangers and was totally up for the cameras to get everything."

Benjamin Franklin used to be my favorite Australian. But then I saw Crocodile Dundee and Paul Hogan knocked Ben off the list (inventing electricity is cool and all but Paul Hogan just has a certain cachet to him). After reading about Irwin's cavalier attitude toward his own death, he's now my favorite Austrian. Right behind Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ignaz Semmelweis. RIP Steve.

let it be known that, should his death come before the camera, he wanted the world to see it:

Irwin was filming for a new documentary when he lost his life, and his cameraman shot the moment when the stingray's barbed tail stabbed the legendary conservationist through the heart. The tapes are currently being held by Queensland police - but Irwin's family are determined to respect his last wishes and allow the harrowing footage to be broadcast.

Irwin once insisted, "My number one rule is to keep that camera rolling. Even if it's shaky or slightly out of focus, I don't give a rip. "Even if a big old alligator is chewing me up I want to go down and go, 'Crikey!' just before I die. That would be the ultimate for me." An insider tells British newspaper the Daily Star, "This is exactly what Steve would have wanted. He knew the dangers and was totally up for the cameras to get everything."

Benjamin Franklin used to be my favorite Australian. But then I saw Crocodile Dundee and Paul Hogan knocked Ben off the list (inventing electricity is cool and all but Paul Hogan just has a certain cachet to him). After reading about Irwin's cavalier attitude toward his own death, he's now my favorite Austrian. Right behind Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ignaz Semmelweis. RIP Steve.