SHARK TRAGEDY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18898, 13 January 1927, Page 13

SHARK TRAGEDY.

BOY FATALLY MAULED. RESCUER FIGHTS MONSTER. (FEOJi OUB OWN COnitESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, January 7. The first of this season's shark tragedies occurred at Grey's Point, Port Hacking, a pleasure resort about 20 miles from Sydney,' on Monday last, a public holiday, resulting in the death of Mervyn Allum, aged 15 years. Aa in so many other shark tragedies of the past, this was marked by great gallantry on the part of Stanley Gibbs, a young man, who fought the shark with bare fists in an endeavour to free Allum from its. horrible jaws. Allum was spending the holidays at his family's week-end camp, th,c party comprising about 14 people. Earlier in the morning the anchor from • tho family's launch had been lost, and Allum- was among those swimming and diving" in comparatively shallow water about 20 yards from the shore in an attempt to find it. The launch, with a party aboard, including Gibbs, had just returned from a nearby township with provisions. Some had transhipped from the launch to a dinghy, and had just reached tho shore when they were startled by a scream. They turned and saw Allum disappear under the water in a flurry of foam. They saw the white belly of the shark as it turned to attack again, and the water became tinged with blood. Gibbs did not hesiUito. In a moment ho was in the water, actually astride the shark, according to one account, and soon ho had grasped Allum.

Stood on Shark. In an interview, Gibbs, a slimly-built youth, told of liis light to save his young mate.' "I heard the boy stiout out in pain,'-' he said, "and then I saw a grey object shoot through the water. Alliim threw up his arms and then went under. When I swam to liiin I called out, 'Give me your hand, Merv,' and tried to grab hold of him. The shark must have got him again just then, for ho was pulled out of my grip. I caught hold of him u second time, and I think the shark again attacked him. When I clutched Allum the shark swam under me, and for a moment I stood with both my feet on its back. I struck at the water and touched what I thought to be its fin. I fancy the shark must have become frightened, for it did not return to the attack. Awaiting help, I kicked and splashed the water to keep the monster away, and then we were hauled into a rowing boat." , . • "I was treading water holding up voting Mcrvyn. . . . My bare feet touched the shark swimming under us. It came at Mcrvyn again. . . I punched and kicked it, and it ideascd its P hold . . . . That's all." These were snatches of the story wrung from Gibbs bv another interviewer. Yet an even more astounding story is told bv an eve-witness,. Constable Norman Billett, attached to the photographic section of the Police Departmei t I" an official report, Constable Billett stated: "The victim was swimmillg i„ several feet of water when all nf •? sudden he screamed for help and started to splash furiously. TJ,cn a shark jumped . over the top of him and took him under the ! water Both he and the shark I came''to the top again, and Stanley I Gibbs who was standing on the nose I of a launch, jumped straddle legs across I the shark's back, and started to punch !it with both fists. It let go its hold ! of the bov, and circled round while a , boat was'going to their assistance " Poor voting Alium died shortly after he was "brought ashore. He was then in terrible agony, being conscious His I flesh was stripped from his left leg from the hip to "the ankle. He was ' also bitten on the body, and the shark ; apparently attacked him three times.

Sharks Plentiful and Ravenous. A few weeks ago men familiar with the sharks' habits predicted that this summer would be a bad one for bathers. They particularly warned bathers to be careful after the turn of the year, as at that time the sharks' natural.prey

has gone north, and the monsters then became ravenous, and are prone to attack human beings. This is being borne out, - for several times sharks have appeared off' the beaches, and on the sanio afternoon as the Port Hacking fatality, two were prevented from attacking swimmers competing in a surf raco by the action and promptitude of a crew of a surf boat attacking and frightening them, with their oars.