HE Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, is dead. He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns, police sources said today.[/p] It is understood he was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest.[/p] He was swimming off the Low Isles at Port Douglas filming an underwater documentary when the tragedy occured. [/p] Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality this morning at Batt Reef off Port Douglas. [/p] Irwin's body is being flown to Cairns.[/p] It is believed his American-born wife Terri is trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania and is yet to be told of her husband's death.[/p] Irwin - known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter - is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!".[/p] The father of two's [em]Crocodile Hunter[/em] program was first broadcast in 1992 and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.[/p] He has also starred in movies and has developed the Australia Zoo wildlife park, north of Brisbane, which was started by his parents Bob and Lyn Irwin. [/p] Tributes have already started pouring in for the larger-than-life character.[/p] Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.[/p] Irwin was heavily involved in last year's "G'Day LA" campaign. [/p] "The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he'd done to promote Australia overseas," a spokesman said. [/p] A Tourism Queensland spokeswoman said the death was shocking and paid tribute to Irwin's "enormous contribution" to his adopted state.[/p] Louise Yates said it was impossible to quantify how much Mr Irwin had meant to the Queensland tourism industry.[/p] "I don't think we could even estimate how much he brought us through his personality and his profile and his enthusiasm about Queensland," she said.[/p] "It would be difficult to estimate how much he was worth. And it would be difficult to underestimate." [/p] She said Irwin had been a larger-than-life ambassador. [/p] "It's not just what he brought but what he took with him when he travelled, his passion." [/p] Australia Zoo, on southeast Queensland's Sunshine Coast, employs more than 500 people and attracts thousands of visitors every day. [/p] But Ms Yates said it would be "unfair and unjust" to put a dollar value on Irwin's worth to the state, because of how much he had given. [/p]
