IN SHARK’S JAWS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1929, Page 2

IN SHARK’S JAWS

FIJIAN DIVER ATTACKED

MOERAKI’S PASSENGERS

LOOK ON HELPLESS

AUCKLAND, January 9,

At least one Fijian, a well-known diver named, Laitia, will have sad cause to remember New Year’s Day, writes the Suva correspondent of the “ Herald.” He was the central figure in a thrilling struggle with a bloodthirsty shark that took place on Wednesday within a few foot of the side of the steamer, Moeraki, as she lay at .King’s Wharf in readiness to sail lor Sydney.

Laitia, who belongs to Suvavou, a native village near Suva, lias made a practice of visiting all ships, and as usual was entertaining what happened to be a record mini her of passengers on the Moeraki on New Year’s Day. With several others he had been diving all the morning. Suddenly a passenger flung a sixpence far out from the side of the ship and many feet beyond where others coins had fallen. Undaunted and unsuspecting, Laitia dived after it, and the watching crowd waited, interested to see if it would elude him and sink to the bottom. He appeared to be having difficulty, as a commotion was observed several feet under the water, but the crowd suspected nothing. Then the Fijian came to the surface ahd with him a 14-foot grey shark, grasping firmly in its jaws, one of his arms. The terror-stricken crowd saw Laitia fight wildly with his free arm, hitting at the monster and shrieking for help. The water closed over the pair as the shark pulled its victim down. What appeared to be an age later Laitia came to the surface, this time alone. A second Fijian dived from a canoe which had rushed to the spot, and attempted to assist him into it.

A fresh horror swept the crowd. They had seen, as the diver fought the monster, how one arm was being terribly mutilatedj now they saw his two arms stripped clean of flesh from elbow to wrist, leaving the bare bones exposed, and ribbons of skin and flesb hanging from the wrists. Rut for ugT.v gashes both hands were left almost whole. Another shriek from the surfering victim showed that the shark had not given up his prey and it was feared that a leg had gone. At last the Fijian was handed into the canoe and it was then seen that the shark had bitten savagely into the fleshy part of the man’s leg. Frightened by other Fijians the monster made off. Instructions were shouted in Fijian to the natives in the canoe to apply torniquets on both the bleeding arms. Sulus were torn up and used. The wonderful stamina of the Fijian was well demonstrated. For some minutes he sat up in the canoe looking at his arms; then he fell back in a faint. He was rushed to hospital where both arms were amputated. Dr. Harper said fhat Laitia’s condition was still very serious aud that he was not out of danger. Amputation, lie said, had been necessary, as all the flesh liad been torn away on the arms, leaving the bones and hands entirely without circulation.

Although Fijian divers have been for many years entertaining travellers on ships calling at Suva, by diving for coins, this is the first misadventure of ;the kind that lias occurred.