A SHARK TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1927, Page 2

A SHARK TRAGEDY

BOY FATALLY HAULED. RESCUER FIGHTS MONSTER. SYDNEY. January 7. The first of this season’s shark tragedies occurred at Grey’s Point, y Port Hacking, a pleasure resort about 20 miles from Sydney, on .Monday last, a public holiday, resulting in the death of Mervyii Allum, aged 15 years. As in so many other -'-rk tragedies of the past, this was ni: great gallantry on the part of Gibbs, a young man. who fought the shark with hare fists in an endeavour to free Allum from its horrible jaW3. Allum was spending the holidays at his family’s week-end camp, the party comprising about 14 people. Earlier in the morning the anchor from tlie < family's launch had been lost, and Allum was among those swimming and diving in comparatively shallow waterl x 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 the shore when they were startled by a scream. They turned and saw Allum disappear under tin? water in ;i 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 liesi- { tate. In a moment lie was in the water, actually astride the shark, according to one account, and soon lie had grasped Allum. STOOD ON SH ARK. In an interview. Gibbs, a slindybuilt youth, told of his fight to save his young mate. “ I heard the boy shout out in pain.” he said, “ and then 1 saw a grov object shoot through the water. Allum threw up his arms and then went under. AA’hen I swam to him 1 called out: ‘ Give me your hand, Merv.’ and tried to grab hold of him. The shark must have got him again just then, for he was pulled out of my grip. 1 caught hold of him a second time, and 1 think the shark again attacked him. AA’hen 1 clutched Allum the shark swam under me, and for a moment 1 stood with both my feet on its hack. 1 struck at the water and touched what I thought to he its fin. 1 fancy the shark must have become frightened, for it did not return to the 1 attack. Awaiting help, 1 kicked and splashed the water to keen the monster away, and then we were hauled into a ’ rowing boat ”

“ I was treading water holding up voting Alervyn. . . Ary bare feet touched the shark swimming under us It came at> Alervyn again. . .

1 punched and kicked it. and it released t its hold. . • - That’s all,” Tlieso were snatches of the story wrung from Gibbs by another interviewer. Yet an even more astounding story is told by an eye-witness, Constable Norman Billett, attached to tbe photographic section of the Police Department. In an official report. Constable Billett stated: “The victim was swimming in several feet of water when all of a sudden be screamed for help and started to splash furiously. Then a shark jumped over the top of him and took him under the water. Both ho and the shark came to the top again, and Stanley Gibbs, who was Standing

on the nose of a launch jumped straddle legs across the shark’s hack, and started to punch it with both fists. Tt let go its hold of the hoy. and circled round while a boat was going to their assistance.’’

Poor young Allum died shortly after he was brought ashore. He was then in terrible agony, being conscious. His llcsh was stripped front his left leg from the hip to the ankle. Ho was

also bitten oil the body, and the shark nppnrentlv attacked him three times. SHARKS PLENTIFUL AND RAVENOUS.

A few weeks ago men familiar with the sharks’ habits predicted that this summer would he n bad one lor bathers.

They particularly warned bathers to careful after the turn of the year, as at that time the sharks’ natural prey lias gone north, and the monsters then became ravenous, and are prone to attack Iranian beings. This is being borne out, for several times sharks have appeared off the beaches, and on the same afternoon as the Port Hacking fatality, two were prevented from attacking swimmers competing in a surf race bv tbe action and promptitude of a crew of a surf boat attacking and frightening them with their oars.