Is there any way Steve Irwin could have survived his last attack?

Question

If he had not pulled the dagger out of his body, could he have survived or would the venom have killed him anyway?
Did the serrated edges of the dagger kill him as it exited his heart, or did the venom?

Answer 1

The venom would have been excruciating and that's probably why he pulled it out. If he was cognizant at all, he might not have realized it had pierced his heart. As sharp and serrated as the spine is, any movement would likely have continued cutting the heart muscle, even if he didn't instantly go into arrest.

The venom itself is only fatal to people prone to anaphylactic reactions, and there have been damn few of those

Answer 2

My first thoughts when I heard the news was that he never should have pulled out the barb. The barb was long enough to pierce the heart, but he apparently instinctively pulled it out. I believe he could have lived had he not removed the barb. Anytime someone is stabbed with anything, it's generally best to leave it in and allow the doctors to remove and repair the area.

We certainly will hear the results of his autopsy and then perhaps we will all know the facts.

Steve Irwin certainly taught a lot of people about the animals he was so passionate about. He was a kind and gentle person and he will be missed by many people all over the world. I wish his wife and family all the best during this very difficult time.

Answer 3

A Sting ray attack is very rarely fatal....in fact in most cases an anti biotic is prescribed and yes it is apparently very painful.

In Steves case the reason it was fatal was because it had actually hit a main organ (heart)...i would assume that in this case he would have died of a heart attack as a result.

Stingrays do not have venom so to speak but the barb is covered with a toxic slim type fluid that can cause infection....it is also the only tool that a stingray has to protect itself.

We love you steve.....RIP

Answer 4

The physical presence of the barb killed him. The venom of even a big ray would not be fatal to a grown man. When the barb went in , the damage was done, so it is fallacious to talk of not pulling the barb out in the heart region.

Answer 5

The barb entered his heart while injecting poison into it, the barb entering his heart is what killed him. He lost large amounts of blood and had a heart attack within moments of the attack from the sting ray. He still would have died from the barb just entering his heart, even if he didn't take it out because there still would have been damage to the heart and he still would have had the heart attack, just less blood loss.

Answer 6

Steve Irwin was **Not** dead immediately.


He had bit of a Abraham Lincoln complex.


If he had kept the barb in his chest (It didn't hit his heart. It just impaled his chest), it would've saved, if not prolonged his life. His mistake was removing it. When you remove an object that is impaled in your body, it's like removing a scab. It'll bleed like all holy hell.

Answer 7

It has been suggested that he might have survived had he not pulled the stinger out, but he had lost an excessive amount of blood and that's not good. I personally believe that when your number is up, that's it.

Answer 8

one never removes a peircing object as it will cause enough blood loss to kill. steve might of had a better chance had he left the barb in his chest.

RIP

Answer 9

The serrated edges may have killed him when he pulled it out..........but...........does anyone consider that that 6 inch barb was still attatched to an alive, panicking and thrashing animal??
They dont lose their spine like a porcupine!.............WHAT WOULD YOU DO??

Answer 10

According to all reports, the barb pierced his heart. He had no chance regardless of what he might've done after the attack.