Praised For Surf Rescue

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31005, 10 March 1966, Page 3

Praised For Surf Rescue

(N.Z. Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, March 9

A surfboard rider, Anthony Johns, aged 18, who brought the dying Rae Marion Keightley ashore after a shark attack off Oakura Beach, was commended yesterday by the New Plymouth Coroner, Mr A. W. Middleton. The Coroner found that the girl died at Oakura Beach on January 8 of loss of blood from a severed artery after she had been attacked by a shark. The girl, a 14-year-old New Plymouth schoolgirl, w r as the only child of Mr and Mrs L. J. Keightley, of Coronation avenue. “I think everyone offers their sympathy to Mr Keightley for such a dreadful tragedy,” said the Coroner. “I would like to commend Anthony Johns for the manner in which he went to her aid with complete disregard for his own safety. I think he should be very highly commended for it.”

i Dr. G. E. Walker said the injuries suffered by the girl indicated that the shark could have made two attacks; “Nothing cbuld have been done. We could not have got a tourniquet on in time. It was quite impossible.’’ HEARD WARNING Johns said he was surfboard riding at the beach. “At 3.25 p.m. I was in the water with several other persons,” he said. “The deceased, who was slightly known to me, was swimming with us, but she did not have a surfboard. “The tide was nearly out and it was quite good for surfing. I looked over to where the deceased was swimming and saw her moving about. “Just then someone yelled out there was a shark about and everyone made for the shore. “I heard the deceased scream out and saw her about 20 yards away. I started to paddle my surfboard toward her. “I could see blood in the water near where the deceased was. “As I reached the deceased I saw a large brown object go underneath my board. It looked like a shark. The deceased screamed for help. “I pushed my surfboard lalongside her and had to sit

on the end of the board with my legs in the water to get her to the beach. GIRL UNCONSCIOUS “I was lucky as two small waves came along and I managed to surf in on these until reached shallow water. People helped me to bring the deceased on to the sand. “1 could see the deceased had a badly gashed right leg above her knee where the shark had attacked her. She was unconscious and never spoke as I was bringing her to the beach. “She was wearing flippers and a white and grey racingtype swim suit. “At the time of the rescue i the deceased would be just I above where the breakers iwere breaking in about five or six feet of water. “The surf was not very rough. I never saw the shark above tire water at any time,” Johns said. Medical attention was given immediately by Dr. Walker, who was on the beach at the time, said witness. LOW TIDE William Douglas Mills, the constable in charge of the Okato police district which includes Oakura Beach, said he was on duty at the beach on January 8. At 3.45 p.m. he was informed that a girl had been attacked by a shark. He found that the girl, Rae

Marion Keightley, wa s dead. The attack had taken place 150 yards south of the Oakura river, at low tide in about five or six feet of water. This point was about 400 yards outside the area patrolled by the Old Boys’ Surf Club. Immediately word was received of the attack, shark alarms were given and the surf was cleared of swimmers. Tn an attempt to prevent additional fatalities of a similar nature a warning js given over the radio to warn bathers whenever sharks are sighted,” said Constable Mills. “This is in addition to the continuous watch and patrols carried out on a voluntary basis by surf life-saving clubs. LINES SET “Because of adverse weather! conditions following this! attack difficulty was expert-i enced in getting fishing boats into the water and water visibility was poor. “Efforts were made with set lines to catch the shark off the beach, but these efforts were in vain. Local fishermen have always caught sharks in reasonable size and numbers off the coast. “It is quite unreasonable to expect anyone to capture or kill the shark responsible for the deceased’s death. All that is practicable has been done,” said Constable Mills.