Steve Irwin eerily predicted that his life would be cut short, his good friend has revealed.
The Australian Crocodile Hunter suffered a tragic death in 2006 at the age of 44 after a stingray barb pierced his heart.
While shooting the documentary entitled Ocean’s Deadliest on the Great Barrier Reef, the wildlife presenter uttered his final words while gasping for air.
After being stabbed by the stingray’s barb several times, Steve looked up at his cameraman and longtime friend Justin Lyons and whispered the words “I’m dying”.
A short life was something that Steve had always predicted, and years previous, he told his loved ones that he knew he would die doing what he loved.
Speaking about how Steve seemingly predicted his early death, his longtime friend and producer of Ocean’s Deadliest film, John Stainton said: “A couple of days before we started the show, he made a little speech to all the crew that were up there catching crocs for his research trip.
“He was sort of thanking them all for being who they were and for helping him. It was like a finale speech,” he told the I’ve Got News For You Podcast.
It’s not the first time that Steve’s loved-ones have opened up about how they think the wildlife star predicted his own death.
After his tragic death, Steve’s beloved wife Terri, who shares children Bindi, 23, and Robert, 17, with the late wildlife presenter opened up about her husband’s chilling premonition.
The conservationist and author, now 57, told Australia’s ABC News that the Crocodile Hunter never thought he would live a long life.
Devastated widow Terri explained: “You know he never thought he would have a long life.
“He just always kind of had this sense that his life would be cut short.”
Heartbreakingly, before he embarked on his final wildlife adventure, Steve had been toying with the idea of packing in his TV career in order to focus on his family life and children who were only eight and three years-old at the time.
The late star’s wife recalled: “I remember him saying to me 'I don't think I'm going to film anymore; I think I'm just going to spend time with my kids’”.
Terri was in Tasmania with the couple’s children when she learned her husband’s tragic fate.
Before his death, Steve spoke about his wishes for his family to continue his good work, and there’s no doubt that they have all done him incredibly proud.
After their father’s tragic death, both Bindi and Robert have followed in his footsteps.
His daughter Bindi, who has welcomed her first child with her new husband, is now a wildlife conservationist while his son Robert is a wildlife photographer.
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