ATTACKED BY SHARK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3896, 17 January 1929, Page 4

ATTACKED BY SHARK.

FIJIAN’S ORDEAL

TERRIBLE MUTILATIONS,

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 Auckland “Herald.” He was the central figure in a thrilling struggle with a bloodthirsty shark that took place within a few feet of the side of the steamer Moeraki as she lay at King’s Wharf in readiness to sail for Sydney.

Laitia, Who belongs to Suvavou, a native village near .Suva, has made a .practice of visiting- all ships and, as -usual, was entertaining what happened to be a record number 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 the other coins had fallen. Undaunted, the unsuspecting Laitia dived after it, and the watching crowd waited, interested to see i'f 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, and with him a 14-foot grey shark, grasping firmly in its jaws one of his arms. Terrorstricken, the crowd saw Laitia • fight wildly with his free arm, hitting at the m'onster 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. Then suddenly a fresh horror swept the crowd. They had seen as the diver fought the monster bow one arm was being terribly mutilated, but now they saw his two arms stripped clean of flesh from elbow to wrist, leaving the bare bones exposed, and ribbons of skin and flesh hanging from the wrists. But for ugly gashes both hands were left almost whole. Another shriek from the suffering 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 tourniquets on both the bleeding arms, for which sulus were torn up and used. The wonderful stamina of the Fijian was well demonstrated. For som!e minutes he sat up in the canoe looking at his arms, and then he fell back in .a faint. He was rushed to hospital, where both arms were amputated.

Dr. Harper said Laitia’s condition, was still very serious, but that he was out of danger. The amputation, he said, had been necessary, as all flesh had been torn away on the lower 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 -has occurred.