Steve Irwin

15 November marks international Steve Irwin Day. Image via Twitter @Mad_Tobz

Here’s what croc hunter Steve Irwin said in his ‘very weird finale speech’

‘It was sort of like a finale speech’: Steve Irwin’s best friend John Stainton recalled some of his final words before his death.

Steve Irwin

15 November marks international Steve Irwin Day. Image via Twitter @Mad_Tobz

Monday 15 November marked Steve Irwin Day. The day celebrated the Crocodile Hunter’s exciting life and legacy. Steve Irwin’s family paid tribute to him in heartfelt social media posts. The Crocodile Hunter’s best friend and producer John Stainton shared some of Irwin’s last words before his death in 2006.

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STEVE IRWIN DAY

Animal lovers around the world took a moment to celebrate Steve Irwin Day, which has become an international holiday to remember the outgoing Crocodile Hunter. 

The Australia Zoo (which is owned by Steve Irwin’s wife Terri) paid tribute to Steve Irwin penning a heartfelt message about the Crocodile Hunter. 

“Steve exemplified compassion, kindness and love towards all living things. This #SteveIrwinDay, let’s all take a page out of Steve’s book – appreciate the world we live in and be kind to every living thing.” 

Sharing a picture of her and her dad on Instagram, Bindi Irwin wrote: “Your legacy will live on forever. I love you for even longer.”

JOHN STAINTON SHARES STEVE IRWIN’S LAST ‘SPEECH’

On 4 September 2006, Steve Irwin was shooting an episode for Ocean’s Deadliest in Queensland but the shoot was cancelled due to bad weather. 

The Crocodile Hunger wanted to take advantage of his time on the coast and headed off to Batt Reef with John Stainton and cameraman Justin Lyons to get footage for Bindi’s show Bindi the Jungle Girl. While snorkelling in the Batt Reef, Irwin was attacked by a 99kg short-tail stingray. 

To share some of his best friend’s last words, John Stainton appeared on the I’ve Got News For You podcast on Sunday 14 November. He revealed that Irwin had made a speech to his crew members days before the shoot that Stainton described as “weird”. 

“He was sort of thanking them all for being who they were and for helping him. It was sort of like a finale speech it was very very weird.”

“It’s just life isn’t it? You never know what things are gonna do to you in life,” said Stainton.

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MORE OF IRWIN’S LAST WORDS

In a previous interview, cameraman Justin Lyons reminisced on Irwin’s last words. 

“He just camly looked up at me said said ‘I’m dying’. And that was the last thing he said.”

Lyons had the camera footage of Irwin’s death destroyed.