Yes, sad to see the man who loved nature and the environment struck down so young. I suppose that he was doing what he lov ed will be some comfort to his family, but what a huge hole there is going to be in their lives.'

Apparently he swam over a stingray partly buried in the sand and the ray's barb came up and struck him in the chest, piercing his heart.

Very sad.

I watched his program enough to know his passion for the earth and the creatures who were struggling to survive a world where people were encroaching on their domain. His showmanship wasn't something I needed to watch, I'd have watched him even if his knowledge were shared through lectures. He knew, however, that the daring feats were the vehicle he needed to attract an audience.

He had a lovely family, and a lot of work ahead of him, so his untimely death is very tragic. I cannot think of one episode I'd ever seen where there wasn't a large potential for injury to him. I'm sure he lived with the possibility of this on a daily basis.

He was the epitome of enthusiasm. Sad that his time came so soon.

Is he the one who caused all the sensation when he dangled the little child over a crocodile? I've never watched any of his programs so am not sure. He must have been pretty special from what you are all saying. What a bizarre thing to have happen.

I will have to admit that while I couldn't stand to watch his show, he was a bit hard on the nervous system, I admired his enthusiastic views of all things about the natural world. He seemed to throughly enjoy doing what he did.

This was one of those unbelievable freaky things that no one ever expects to happen.

Marda, he didn't actually dangle his child over a crocodile. He had his child in his arms as he fed a crocodile. Also, it seems the shot that made this so controversial foreshortened the angle and made them seem closer to the croc than they actually were.

His work as an environmentalist and in the preservation of wildlife is less well known than his flamboyant personality.

It's sad that most people will remember what you recall, Marda, but there was a lot more to the man than that.

DH just came in to tell me that he heard on the news that he is the only person actually recorded who has been killed by a stingray. I don't know if that's true or not, but if it is, it's got to be the irony of ironies.

I'll remember him for the great amount of respect and admiration he always showed for his subjects.

I always found this guy annoying beyond belief. Guess I didn't look closely enough because clearly I am in the minority. Whatever the case, his death is a tough thing for his young family to face.

Boy, do I now see how wrong I was about this guy. His delivery was always so off-putting to me and I never looked beyond that to the work he did in the world. I obviously I judged the book by its cover and should have read it instead. I hope his good work continues to live after him.

I've been watching all the tributes to him on The Animal Planet because so many of you think very highly of you and now I see why. I wish now I had watched his programs. His enthusiasm is amazing...was amazing.

His daughter gave him a great tribute today...love him or hate him...think her love for him said it all.

I always thought highly of him; though his expressions of enthusiasm could be a bit overdone, he was always lovable. I feel so bad for his family and friends. On the other hand, I don't particularly like the attitude of that other wild-life expert, Jeff Corwin, yet find it hard to say why, since I loved Steve. I do watch the programs of both of them to see the animals.

does anyone know where I could read the tribute paid to him by his daughter?

Here is the video.

Elia

Thank you Elia, I appreciate it.

Thank you Michael!