Should 'Croc Hunter' Death Tape be Seen?

[Hypancistrus]

I would personally like to see the owner of the tapes destroy them. To show that tape in my opinion would accomplish nothing. Who honestly needs to view that tape besides say maybe the police and the coroner???

They should burn it. There's nothing that can be learned from it- it was a freak accident, and "normal" people like us don't go swimming with 220 pound stingrays, so it wouldn't serve as a warning to us or anything- no purpose to showing it.

 

[ffollett]

I keep going back and forth on this issue. I had heard about him wanting a tape shown if he was killed but think about his kids. What happens if Bob at the age of 12 finds himself watching his dad die before he ever got a chance to know him. On the other hand Steve lived his life on camera and wanted it shown. I am also sure if the family does release the tape Terri would prepare the kids for what they may see on it.

In the end its for the family to decide what is best for them.

 

[christopher66]

....... and "normal" people like us don't go swimming with 220 pound stingrays, so it wouldn't serve as a warning to us or anything- no purpose to showing it.

I'm "normal" and if the opportunity presented itself ,i would enjoy swimming with one .

 

[Hypancistrus]

I'm "normal" and if the opportunity presented itself ,i would enjoy swimming with one .

If the opportunity presented itself....

 

[Southwick Herps]

I personally don't think this discussion is even worth having..
There is no reason at all for the tape to be shown. How would you rather remember such a great man? With that joyful look of a 4yr old in a toystore while he chases down an animal, or remember him as a man wondering "what the just happened" as he's dieing in the water?
And the fact that people say they should ask Terri if it can be released. Alright, tell me a good time to ask her? "Yeah, Im real sorry for your loss, but can we publicize the tape?" I mean come on.
The tape should be burned and buried.

 

[Mooing Tricycle]

since the subject of steve wanting the tape to be shown, maybe they will show it to the children when they are old enough, and release it then. I doubt it will be released before they are old enough to understand, i just dont think they could ever live their lives bombarded with that video every day.

maybe steve wasnt thinking about his children at the time when he made this statement either, and i dont think it would be wrong to go against his wishes on this subject for the sake of the children.

i hope its never released. i dont ever want to see it.

 

[christopher66]

If the opportunity presented itself....

 

[kmurphy]

From Terri Irwin

Here's a quote attributed to Terri Irwin in the upcoming 20/20 interview.

She says she has not seen film footage of the accident, and she hopes it will not become public. Irwin's longtime pal, John Stainton, who was there when Irwin died, tells 20/20 he doesn't "want anybody else to see it. ... It's just a horrible piece of film tape."

Nuff said.

 

[CrazyReptileWorld]

I think the video should only be shown if the family wants it to be

 

[Schlyne]

According to close friends who viewed the tape right after it happened. Steve simply pulled the barb out of his chest and died.

I hope it's never released.

 

[Rakshasanyc]

The family should decide if they want to show it or not. Maybe something can be found out about why the stingray stabbed him, and what precautions we could take to prevent that.

The precautions, in this case, would be: don't swim above a 200+ lb. stingray and startle it so that you can get impressive camera footage. If someone didn't get that message from hearing about Irwin's death, I doubt that seeing it will prove any more persuasive.

While he did a lot of fantastic things for conservation and was a great friend to reptiles, Steve Irwin was also given to showboating and to taking unnecessary risks. I'm not saying that Steve Irwin "deserved" to die, but I am saying that his death was an avoidable tragedy caused in no small part by Irwin's cavalier attitude toward dangerous animals -- an attitude which made him entertaining to watch but which had herp-keepers shaking their heads for years.

 

[CurtisF]

Why show it? What would it or 'could it' possibly accomplish?

Nothing.

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Why show it? What would it or 'could it' possibly accomplish?

Nothing.

It's called a healing process.

I for one, don't deal with death too well. Not meaning it messes me up or anything, just that I always seem to dodge the reality of it with flippant comments, etc. Having it in my face sorta forces me to deal with the reality of it. So in a way, for me anyway, it's a good thing.

I met Steve once, and when I heard of his death, I did what i normally do, and dodged the issue. Having it on Animal Planet for the next month or so, kinda forced me to deal with the reality part of it, and get the sense of loss over and done with.

Anyway, that's my point of view. I voted YES.
Rick

 

[CurtisF]

It's called a healing process.

I for one, don't deal with death too well. Not meaning it messes me up or anything, just that I always seem to dodge the reality of it with flippant comments, etc. Having it in my face sorta forces me to deal with the reality of it. So in a way, for me anyway, it's a good thing.

I met Steve once, and when I heard of his death, I did what i normally do, and dodged the issue. Having it on Animal Planet for the next month or so, kinda forced me to deal with the reality part of it, and get the sense of loss over and done with.

Anyway, that's my point of view. I voted YES.
Rick

Hmph, two completely different points of view, I suppose. I never thought of it from that angle

 

[Dragondad]

Not sure if the original link at the bottom will work so included the text. I would be willing to bet that this won't ever come out.






Irwin's Wife Gets Tape of His Death
Jan 3, 9:17 PM EST


Authorities gave the video of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin's fatal encounter with a stingray to his family and destroyed all copies to prevent the grisly footage from being made public, an Australian state coroner said Thursday.

Irwin, 44, died on Sept. 4 after being stabbed in the chest by the stingray's poisonous barb while filming a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef off the Queensland coast.

Queensland State Coroner Michael Barnes said authorities gave the original video to his wife, Terri, in late December and destroyed other copies.

"The footage has been the subject of widespread media interest and it was wholly appropriate that we took all possible steps to ensure something of such a personal and tragic nature did not fall into the wrong hands," Barnes said in a statement. "This is in line with the wishes of the Irwin family."

Police made a small number of copies of the video to assist their inquiry into the cause of Irwin's death, but they were kept under tight security throughout the investigation, the coroner's office said.

Speculation had been rife that footage of Irwin's death could eventually be posted on the Internet.

Calls to the Irwin family's Australia Zoo were not immediately returned Thursday, but in an interview with U.S. television last September, Terri Irwin, originally of Eugene, Ore., said the video should never see the light of day.

"What purpose would that serve?" she told ABC's Barbara Walters, adding that she herself had not seen the video.

Irwin's friend and business partner, John Stainton, has seen the film. He told Walters he never wants to see it again and doesn't want anyone else to see it, either. "It's just a horrible piece of film tape," he said.

The death of the exuberant television entertainer and conservationist set off an unprecedented outpouring of grief. Tens of thousands traveled to Irwin's zoo near Brisbane to drop off flowers and other mementoes, many of them signing khaki shirts instead of a condolence book.


http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=246674&GT1=7703

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Well, now I aint so sure. If Steve stated a wish of.... "If I'm going to die," the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin said in a 2002 interview, "at least I want it filmed." ......Than for what other reason, except to have it exposed to the public eye?

On the other hand, the surviving family member Terri, states she wishes the opposite. Since this would have a greater impact on Her than the rest of the world, I do think Her wishes should be honored.

So, a slight retraction of what I previously said. Until now I had not heard of her wishes on the matter, only Steve's.

I do NOT think it was right of the authorities to make copies of said tape though. I fail to see how multiple copies can help the investigation. I think there is an another motive behind that one.

Rick


BTW, changed my vote to reflect Terri's wishes.