The trusted cameraman who filmed the adventures of Steve Irwin has shared the horror-filled final moments of the Crocodile Hunter's life.
The Australian adventurer and animal lover had been preparing to film with tiger sharks off the coast of Port Douglas with Justin Lyons when they had some spare time.
Shooting for a number of shows, including Australia’s Deadliest, they went off together in a boat to see what they could find.
Shortly afterwards they found the large stingray which was to take the 44-year-old father of three’s life.
After a successful filming they had a last shot showing Irwin swimming behind the stingray when it suddenly turned and started stabbing its tail towards him, he told MailOnline.
Mr Lyons, who filmed Steve with some of the world’s most dangerous creatures for more than a decade, revealed once the thrashing stopped he saw his friend surrounded by blood.
One of the strikes had stabbed him in the heart.
He said: “He was the biggest bull ray I've ever seen - he was six-foot wide, he was huge. His tail, the barb on his tail, it's a jagged-edge barb. It's two-thirds of the way along his tail.
"The First Nations people would use them as spear tips, they're unbelievable.
“Brian [Coulter, on the main boat] is covering this massive wound in Steve's chest. There's blood and fluid oozing from this massive hole. Steve is tensing up writhing in pain. Brian keeps saying: "Think of your kids, you'll be right".'
'”Steve looks directly at me and says: "I'm dying". I told him ‘No you're not, you'll be right just hang in there.’”
With no defibrillator onboard, they raced to a nearby island but by the time they arrived, Steve was unconscious.
They attempted CPR until paramedics landed on the beach in a helicopter, bringing hope the Aussie could be saved.
But after checking him over for just 15 seconds they declared him dead.
A week after the tragedy in September 2006 a public funeral was held held which was watched by more than 300 million people around the world.
The Crocodile Hunter 's death saw an outpouring of grief from fans across the globe - and even sparked a string of revenge attacks on stingrays on Australian shores condemned by the executive director of Steve's conservation group.
The freak incident off Australia's Great Barrier Reef which cost him his life was captured on film as Irwin told camera crews to keep filming no matter what happened.
