FOOTAGE of the moment when Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter”, was killed by a stingray on the Great Barrier Reef yesterday may never be broadcast.

Billy Campbell, the president of Discovery Networks in the United States, which produced his documentaries for its Animal Planet channel, said that it was too early to decide what images viewers would see from Irwin’s fatal trip on the Great Barrier Reef.

John Stainton, Irwin’s close friend and producer who was on board Croc One, Irwin’s boat, said that the “shocking” footage showed Irwin pulling the stingray’s barb out of his chest before lapsing into unconsciousness.

“It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him (in the chest). He pulled it out and the next minute he’s gone. That was it. The cameraman had to shut down. The coroner’s report will say what happened, but I think he died fairly instantly.

Mr Stainton added: “It’s a very hard thing to watch because you’re watching somebody die and it’s terrible.” He has given the footage to police investigating his death.

Discussions about broadcasting the footage would take place with Irwin’s wife, Terri, at an appropriate time, Mr Campbell said.

Mrs Irwin and the couple’s children, Bindi Sue, 8, and Bob, 2, were on a trekking holiday in Tasmania when they heard that Irwin, 44, had died within minutes of the freak snorkelling accident while filming.

Irwin earned a global television audience and great wealth with his clownish manner, irresistible enthusiasm and daring exploits with dangerous reptiles. In the US, Animal Planet showed a tribute to him last night.

Mr Stainton witnessed what happened to Irwin. He said: “He came up over the top of a stingray and the stingray’s barb went up and went into his chest and put a hole into his heart.

“It’s likely that he died instantly when the barb hit him, and I don’t think that he felt any pain. He died doing what he loved best.”

Peter West, another member of the film crew, said: “The footage shows him swimming in the water, the ray stopped and turned and that was it. There was no blood in the water, it was not that obvious . . . something happened with this animal that made it rear and he was at the wrong position at the wrong time. If it hit him anywhere else we would not be talking about a fatality.”

After the ray struck, Irwin collapsed immediately and colleagues pulled him aboard Croc One, which made a 30-minute dash to meet a rescue helicopter with a medical team aboard. But it was too late.

“It became clear fairly soon that he had non-survivable injuries,” said Ed O’Loughlin, who treated Irwin at the scene. “He had a penetrating injury to the left front of his chest. He had lost his pulse and wasn’t breathing.” Dr O’Loughlin said that it appeared Irwin had suffered “a form of cardiac arrest”. Irwin’s death at Batt Reef, 32 nautical miles off Port Douglas, was only the fourth known stingray death in Australian waters.

Tributes came from the worlds of politics, conservation and entertainment.

John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, who befriended Irwin and invited him to a barbecue with President Bush, said that he was “shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin’s sudden, untimely and freakish death. It’s a huge loss to Australia.”

Peter Beattie, the Queensland Premier, said that a state funeral was possible, but that he would wait to hear the wishes of Irwin’s family.

David Bellamy, the naturalist and broadcaster, described Irwin as a great performer and an excellent natural historian.

John Hendricks, the founder and chairman of Discovery Communications Inc, said he would set up a “Crikey Fund” in honour of his catchphrase to help to support his Australia Zoo on the Sunshine Coast.

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