ATTACKED BY A SHARK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1374, 27 February 1912, Page 3

ATTACKED BY A SHARK.

FISHERMAN'S FIGHT FOR LIFE.

A fisherman had a desperate struggle with n shark at Noumea ou February 3. The man, Raoul Gillies, was fishing trom the whatf ot the foot of La Rue fcolfcrmo. Several small fishing boats wore moored close to the wharf, and one of tlte.-e broke awav and was- drifting to Ma. billies dived from the wharf to secure the drifting boat, and when a lew yards trom the pier threw up his arms and sank. A few seconds Inter he reappeared and called for help iust More ho again peared suddenly. This lime lie remained under the surface for nearly a minute and reappeared in nil exhausted condition. A spectator 011 the wharf noticed (lie water become red immediately after Gillies' first disappearance, and called for assistnnce. 11 is cries were heard aboard the sailing ship Matauva. which was anchored in (lio stream, and a boat was immediately sent to the assistance of the struggling men. The rescuers had a fair distance to row. and in the meantime Gillies managed to roach a small fishing boat, to which lie clung, more dead than alive, until tlie.v arrived and lifted him into their boat, lie wa> wounded, the flesh of the right leg being stripped from the thigh downwards. Tliero was also a wound on the left shoulder and the left let; . was nearly bitten through. w , . . The sailors from the Mntnuva rendered first aid, and them-carried him to the hospital, where ho was admitted in a critical condition. On the following day ho regained consciousness, and when tho mail left was considered almost out of danger. lie stated that after swimming a few strokes he noticed the dorsal fill of n shark in front of him. lie turned and struck out for the wharf as quickly as passible, but was imilftidinlel.v seized by Ihe leg and drawn under the surface. He slrnifßled ami came up again, but the shark returned several limes, and lie had no rei oH'.'ction of what happened after the final attack. On 1 he following morning a man fishing from the wliarf from which Gillies dived en light a shark which measured lift., and which, on b?ing opened, was found to contain lb* front leg of o cow bitten off above the knee.