Television personality and environmentalist Steve Irwin has died after being stung by a stingray while filming off north Queensland.

Known worldwide as the Crocodile Hunter, the 44-year-old was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry "Crikey!”.

The Queensland Police Service issued a statement saying Mr Irwin collapsed after being stung at Batt Reef, Low Isles off Port Douglas about 11am. He had been filming a documentary.

"Steve was hit by a stingray in the chest,” said local diving operator Steve Edmondson, whose Poseidon boats were out on the Great Barrier Reef when the accident occured.

"He probably died from a cardiac arrest from the injury,” he said.

Police said after he stingray attack,  Irwin’s crew called for medical treatment at 11am and the Queensland Rescue Helicopter responded with a doctor and paramedic on board.

Puncture wound

Mr Irwin had a puncture wound to the left side of his chest and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said Mr Irwin’s family has been advised and Irwin’s body was being flown to Cairns.

It is believed his American-born wife Terri was trekking on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania when the incident happened.

Police in Tasmania say she has been informed of her husband’s death.

The Irwins have two children, an eight-year-old a daughter, Bindi Sue, and a three-year-old son,  Robert Clarence, usually known as Bob.

When asked if he had ever heard of anyone dying from a stingray barb Matthew Hurley, general manager of Quicksilver Group, whose company has taken tours to Low Isles for 26 years, said: "No, definitely not."

"We’ve never heard of or been involved with anything like that."

Ross Coleman, acting director at at University of Sydney Institute of Marine Science, told smh.com.au  it was "quite rare" for someone to die from contact with a stingray and he couldn’t recall hearing of another incident.

Stingrays were "dangerous if provoked", he said.

"As a recreational diving instructor you hear of people getting injured by standing on them … but they rarely die."

Trouble over croc feeding with son

Irwin won a global following for his daredevil antics but also triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old baby while feeding a snapping crocodile at his Australian zoo.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who used a photograph of his family at Australia Zoo for his official Christmas card last year, hailed Mr Irwin for his work in promoting Australia.

Mr Irwin was heavily involved in last year’s "G’Day LA” campaign.

"The minister knew him, was fond of him and was very, very appreciative of all the work he’d done to promote Australia overseas,” a spokesman said.

The Crocodile Hunter program was first broadcast in 1992 and has been shown around the world on cable network Discovery.

Irwin came 20th last year in BRW magazine’s  top 50 entertainers.

The magazine said the hugely popular Crocodile Hunter spent most of 2005 filming and launching his new television series, New Breed Vets, to appear on the pay-TV channel Animal Planet.

In February, Irwin received an award for his contribution to tourism from Tourism Australia.

Over the last 12 months, he has also expanded his Australia Zoo wildlife park on the Sunshine Coast.

Pop star Justin Timberlake last month recalled visiting the zoo on his Australian 2004 tour.

"I know he got a lot of flak, but there’s something in that dude’s blood, he’s like one of those animals," Timberlake told the Courier Mail newspaper.

"We got in the cage and he said, ‘I want to show you how the crocs hunt’ . . . all of a sudden it pops out of the water, we jump back, it came up on the land and he saw how its temperament was and he told us to step back.

"He’s like Dr Dolittle, for real. He knows what those crocodiles are thinking."

I can’t believe that the week is over already, still its wasn’t too bad I had wanted to goto the coast for a couple of days but the weather just wasn’t giving me the opportunity.

I did enjoy myself on wednesday and it was fun to meet up with my neighbors and enjoy the day…

Well, my car goes into the body shop tomorrow to get some work done on it, can’t wait to be driving around in the loan car – a Rover 100 oh well… Should have it back by mid week..