September 4, 2026, marks the 20th anniversary of Steve Irwin’s death.
In 2006, the world lost a legendary wildlife conservationist who taught people to love even the most peculiar of creatures. But two children lost a father and someone lost the love of her life.
Even through grief, Terri, Bindi and Robert continue Steve’s legacy at the Australia Zoo and beyond.
Steve, 44, sadly passed away while filming “Ocean’s Deadliest” at the Great Barrier Reef, when a stingray pierced his heart with a poisonous barb. It was a freak accident that shocked the globe.
Bindi was only eight years old at the time, while Robert was just shy of three years old.
Little has been shared about that harrowing day – until Steve’s cameraman, Justin Lyons, shed light 20 years later.
He was just one of many cameramen and producers who spoke in the new documentary, Steve Irwin: A Wild Life, which celebrated the Crocodile Hunter. But Justin’s recollection of those final moments have shattered the world all over again.
“Waking up, nobody had any idea what was in store for us that day,” Justin began.
“He swims up, swims over the top of it. It doesn’t move, but as he’s directly over the top of it, of course, it thought he was a tiger shark, and started stabbing madly towards him with its tail.”
The crew was originally targeting tiger sharks for the film, but decided to find other marine life while waiting for sharks. This was supposed to be Steve’s final piece of footage.
“The water just boiled. I couldn’t see anything that was going on. Bubbles and thrashing, and then all of a sudden it stopped,” Justin continued.
Shortly after, Steve jumped out of the water, screaming out: “It’s punctured my lung!”
Tearfully remembering those moments after dragging Steve into the boat, Justin shared Steve’s final words.“He’s conscious, and he says to me, looks me right in the eye, and he says, ‘I’m dying’,” he said.
The team spent 45 minutes performing CPR on Steve as they rushed to Low Island, where paramedics waited for them. Steve was sadly declared dead within 10 seconds.
“It was like absolute despair,” he said. “I remembered thinking my whole world just changed, just like that and it was never the same.”
Justin was right, because the world hasn’t been the same since Steve Irwin’s sudden passing. Certainly not for his beloved family.
Honouring her father, Bindi shared a beautiful tribute to Instagram.
“Grief never truly leaves us; we walk alongside it every day. Where there is enormous grief, there is even greater love,” she wrote. “In the last 20 years, I have watched the world mourn my dad with our family. I always thought that my dad’s legacy is wildlife conservation; it turns out, his legacy is love. For our planet and for each other.
“I have a 5-year-old daughter who watches his documentaries every morning. She feels utterly loved by her “grandpa crocodile” without ever having met him. My dad left a lasting impact so poignant that it will ripple out for generations to come. I believe with my whole heart that his love will live on forever. In all of us. In every kindness we show to the Earth. And that is a life and legacy worth celebrating. ❤️
“Dad, I love you with my whole heart. Thank you for being our guardian angel. And most of all, thank you for watching over my daughter now, too. She loves you so much. We all do,” she concluded.
The little Wildlife family expanded in March 2021 with Bindi and Chandler Powell’s daughter, Grace Warrior Irwin Powell. While Steve never got to meet his granddaughter, ‘he ‘Grandpa Crocodile’ is still a big part of her life.
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