The 20th anniversary of Steve Irwin's death has prompted tributes from his family, while his cameraman has revealed the wildlife conservationist's tragic final moments. Irwin died in 2006 at the age of 44 after a freak stingray incident while filming.
Cameraman recounts the final moments
Cameraman Justin, who had been filming the crocodile hunter at sea, spoke on 60 Minutes' Steve Irwin: A Wild Life about the devastating moment Irwin realised he was dying. Justin described how they found a massive bull ray and slipped over the side of their rubber ducky to film it.
According to Justin, as Irwin swam over the stingray, it thought he was a tiger shark and started stabbing towards him with its tail. The water boiled with bubbles and thrashing before the stingray swam away. Justin then saw Irwin jump up out of the water, screaming, with blood around him.
Irwin screamed, 'It's punctured my lung!' Justin dragged him into the boat and saw blood pouring from a gash in his chest over his heart. Irwin, still conscious, looked Justin in the eye and said, 'I'm dying'.
Family tributes
Irwin's children, Bindi and Robert, and his widow, Terri, paid tribute online, sharing memories of their 'superhero'. Bindi, who was eight when her father died, shared a video of him recounting 'the most incredible wildlife encounter of my life' – the birth of his daughter.
Bindi said: "Twenty years ago, today, the world lost the most passionate and dedicated wildlife conservationist. Our family lost our superhero. My mum lost the love of her life; my brother and I lost the greatest dad. Grief never truly leaves us; we walk alongside it every day. Where there is enormous grief, there is even greater love. I always thought that my dad's legacy is wildlife conservation; it turns out, his legacy is love. For our planet and for each other."
Bindi added that her five-year-old daughter watches her grandfather's documentaries every morning and feels 'utterly loved by her grandpa crocodile', despite never meeting him. She said: "My dad left a lasting impact so poignant that it will ripple out for generations to come. I believe with my whole heart that his love will live on forever. Dad, I love you with my whole heart. Thank you for being our guardian angel. And most of all, thank you for watching over my daughter now, too. She loves you so much. We all do."
Robert and Terri's memories
Robert shared a photo of himself with his father, captioned: "Your legacy is forever." Terri remembered her final weeks with her husband, saying "grief still walks with me like my shadow". She said: "With the passing of time I have gained more perspective and understanding. We were together as a family, on our crocodile research expedition, for what was to be our final six weeks together. Ours was to be a long and sweet goodbye. Steve spent time with Bindi and Robert building swings and climbing trees. We all slowed down. Time slowed down. I believe that all of us, every one of us, gets to say goodbye. We just may not know that we're saying it. Hold every moment dear with the ones you love. Until we meet again."
