Cameraman Justin Lyons, the sole witness to the tragic death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin revealed the star’s final moments in a new interview this week. “I’m dying,” was all the 44-year-old popular television host said after a surprise attack eight years ago by a massive stingray, Lyons told Studio Ten Sunday . Steve Irwin Death The two were in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in September 2006 to shoot a nature documentary when they found a “massive, 8-foot-wide stingray,” Lyons said. Lyons, who worked with Irwin for 15 years, said they were “looking for something to do” when they went exploring around the water in an inflatable boat. He told his friend to swim up behind the stingray and he would try to get a shot of the “normally very calm” animal. But the stingray did not remain calm. “All of a sudden, it propped on its front and started stabbing wildly with its tail,” Lyons said, adding that it made “Hundreds of strikes in a few seconds.” “I didn’t realize how serious it was. I didn’t know it punctured his heart. I thought maybe it just punctured his lung and we had a good chance of saving him.” He pulled Irwin into a boat and tried to get him help. He did CPR on him for an hour but Irwin, who was bleeding profusely from his chest, could not be revived. Lyons told Irwin to think of his children in that moment. “He just sort of calmly looked up at me and said, ‘I’m dying.’ And that was the last thing he said,” Lyons said. When the medics finally came they pronounced him dead within 10 seconds of their arrival, Lyons said. He said he would never release the footage. “Never,” he said. “Out of respect for his family, I would say never.” 21 Shocking Celebrity Deaths Open Slideshow 1. Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away at the age of 46. He was found with a needle in his arm and had a history of drug abuse. View As List 1. Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away at the age of 46. He was found with a needle in his arm and had a history of drug abuse. 2. Cory Monteith Cory Monteith was 27 years old when he passed away. He overdosed on drugs during a night of partying in Vancouver. 3. Heath Ledger Heath Ledger left us with one final, amazing performance. He earned an Oscar for his work as The Joker. 4. Paul Walker Paul Walker died in a car accident on November 30, 2013. He left behind a daughter and a burgeoning film career. 5. Gia Allemand Gia Allemand was only 29 when she died. The former Bachelor contestant took her own life. 6. James Gandolfini James Gandolfini will always be remembered as Tony Soprano. He died of a heart attack at the age of 51. 7. Amy Winehouse Amy Winehouse lived a hard life. She died of a drug overdose on July 23, 2011. 8. Gary Coleman Rest in peace, Gary Coleman. The sitcom star left this world at the age from an intercranial hemorrhage. 9. Corey Haim We lost Corey Haim to a reported drug overdose in March 2010. He is remembered for a number of roles, such as Lost Boys. 10. Brittany Murphy Brittany Murphy poses here at the 2009 Video Music Awards. She passed away at the age of 32. 11. Michael Jackson Celebrity death don’t hit the world harder than that of Michael Jackson. He was 50 years old when he passed away. 12. Tupac Shakur Tupac Shakur poses here with his mother. The rapper was gunned down at the age of 25. 13. Aaliyah The music world lost Aaliyah in 2001. She died in a plane crash. 14. Tim Russert Tim Russert was as respected as it gets in the world of journalism. He died in 2008. 15. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes was a key part of TLC. She was killed in a car accident. 16. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston passed away the night before the Grammys. She overdosed in a hotel bathtub. 17. Princess Diana Princess Diana was taken from us in 1997. The iconic figure died in a car crash. 18. Kurt Cobain Rest in peace, Kurt Cobain. The rocker committed suicide in 1997. 19. Anna Nicole Smith Anna Nicole Smith died at the young age of 39. She lived a very troubled life. 20. Biggie Smalls Biggie Smalls got caught up in the East Coast/West Coast rap war. He was killed in 1997. 21. Natasha Richardson Natasha Richardson was married to Liam Neeson at the time of her death. She passed away from a skiing accident.
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Steve Irwin Death: Cameraman Recalls Crocodile Hunter’s Final Words
