He was the beloved wildlife warrior tragically killed by a stingray barb.
And the circumstances surrounding Steve Irwin’s death have come under question by a doctor who has claimed he ‘didn’t have to die’.
Woman’s Day alleges that Steve’s wife Terri Irwin is ‘going through hell’ due to Dr. Gabe Mirkin’s extraordinary and unsubstantiated claims, which he made after reportedly viewing bootleg video of her late husband’s death.
Could Steve Irwin’s death been prevented? Doctor claims wildlife warrior ‘didn’t have to die’ as new footage of the moment he was stung by a stingray emerges
The American doctor made recent remarks on the footage, which was reportedly copied under suspicious circumstances from the original film shot by Steve’s crew.
‘The stingray tail effectively acted as a plug, and the second he removed it he bled to death,’ the Maryland-based doctor allegedly told RadarOnline.
‘Steve Irwin didn’t have to die,’ he added.
Meanwhile, a friend of Terri’s allegedly revealed to Woman’s Day that the mother-of-two is ‘going through hell’ following the doctor’s extraordinary claims.
‘The truth is, Steve was so badly wounded nothing could’ve saved him, given the remote area where it happened,’ the ‘source’ allegedly told the magazine.
According to the report, Terri, 53, is now ‘vowing to stamp out the rumours and hunt down’ anyone who might profit from the bootleg footage.
A renowned conservationist known as the ‘Crocodile Hunter’, Steve’s chest was pierced by a stingray barb during filming of the documentary Ocean’s Deadliest.
The television personality’s fatal injury happened on September 4, 2006 while on location in Batt Reef, Queensland.
In a January 2007 interview with Access Hollywood, Terri stated all footage of her late husband’s injury and death had been destroyed.
Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Australia Zoo for further comment.