John Stainton told reporters the footage, which he had handed to police, was the worst thing he had ever seen, Sydney's 2GB radio reported this morning.
"I have seen the footage and it's shocking," Mr Stainton said.
"It's a very hard thing to watch because you're watching somebody die and it's terrible."
Mr Stainton, also a producer and director of Irwin's popular television shows, said the footage showed Mr Irwin pulling the barb out of his chest before losing consciousness.
'The tail came up'
"It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he's gone.
"That was it. The cameraman had to shut down."
Mr Stainton, who was aboard Mr Irwin's vessel Croc One when the tragedy occurred, said it was likely the television star and naturalist died almost immediately as a result of the stingray's blow.
"(He was) probably a metre coming over the top of it," he said.
"He was underwater. I think, and the coroner's report will say what happened, but I think he died fairly instantly."
oh my god!
