ATTACKED BY SHARK.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19156, 12 November 1927, Page 11

ATTACKED BY SHARK.

- —• HORSE AND RIDER.

WHILE CROSSING RIVER FORD. CraoM oua ows coaaE3Poin>nn.) ' SYDNEY, October 23- j What must be the most unusual at- J tack ever made by a shark on man or ! beast occurred this week at Ixlen, a town on the far south coast of New South Wales. A shark attacked a horseman and his mount as they were crossing a river there at a fording place. Happily, the shark's attach tailed. The central figure in this unenviable episode was Mr .Norman Severs, a wellknown resident of the district. Returning to his home.. Mr Severs had to cross tho Kiah river at a recognised fording place.. Tho tide- was fairly high, but the bushmen in tho past had never thought of danger even when the river was so high. Mr Severs' horse was almost swimming, when Mr Severs saw approaching a huge shark which came close to his horse's head. The shark swerved, and; shooting past, turned sharply and headed straight for the horses hind lezs. Frantic Struggle. Terrified, the horse endeavoured to escape the threatened danger, plunging desperately and kicking and bucking as well as its precarious foothold on the riverbed permitted. During one of its mad plunges the saddle girth broke, and Mr Severs was thrown into the river. Calling loudly for help, air Severs ewani for tho shore, about iuu yards distant, and fearing every moment that the shark's jaws would be closing upon him, he splashed frantically and drove through the water as rapidly as he could. The frightful journey was made in a couple of minutes, but every second of them seemed hours long. At length, he found solid ground beneath his feet and was in safety. The shark had apparently been scared by the commotion of the struggles of the horse and disappeared without making any further attacks. Meanwhile two other men had heard Mr Severs's calls for help, and they reached the bank of the river just as Mr Severs, exhausted, scrambled ashore. The horse also swam to the shore, and was found to have escaped injury. How the shark missed it in its dive for the animal's legs Mr Severs could not understand, for the monster appeared to pass directly between them. Tho scene of the shark's attack, is not far from the boiling down station used hy the Twofold Bay whalers. Lately several large sharks have been sen near these works in quest of refuse. When the whaling season is in full swing a school of the monsters haunts the entrance to the Kiah River, and it is believed that it was one of these, venturing further up the river than usual, which made the attack on Mr Severs and his horse.