RESCUED FROM SHARKS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 3

RESCUED FROM SHARKS

■ i AIRMAN'S SWIM TO SAVE A NEGRO Tho bravery of' a member of the Royal South African Flying Corps named 'Charles Thomson in rescuing a negro from shartinfested water in'Gorman South-West Africa is recorded in the following letter from Captain H. 1\ Batten, of tho Flying Corps:— I "The negro, along with others, was exercising and i bathing some troop horses and had ventured too far into the water. The horse that the nigger was on started to plunge and behave in a rather wild manner. The horse had been .attacked by sharks. The native was thrown from the horse and went under: Thomson immediately chucked off his clothes, and had to swim 250 yards through water red with blood from, the horse, that was heing devoured by tho sharks. He swam into a alioal of the brutes to the native, who oould not swim an inch, and then the struggle commenced. "The Kaffir naturally clutched hold of Thomson and they both ' went under. When they came to the surface Thom•son promptly knocked the wind out of the native, calmly turned on his back, and returned to the shore with tho unconscious native. AiiiiougH a bit exhausted the young airman was none the worse, but it was a considerable time before the native came round."

' Captain Batten relates that Thomson walked up .to him,; saluted, and; begged to be excused for going into the' water, as there were notices posted stating that no bathing was allowed, owing to the danger of sharks on that part of the coaet.— "Daily' Mail."