BOY KILLED BY SHARK.

Shannon News, 18 January 1927, Page 4

BOY KILLED BY SHARK.

A COMPANION'S HKROISM. FIGHT' WITH THE MONSTER. STRADDLE LEGS ACROSS BACK. SYDNEY, Jan. 7. A terrible shark tragedy occurred at Grey's Point, Port Hacking, a pleasure resort about 20 miles from Sydney, on Monday last, resulting in the death of Mervyn Allum, aged 15 years. Great gallantry was displayed by Stanley Gibbs .a young man, who fought the shark with bare fists in an endeavour to free Allum from its horrible jaws. 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 the family's launch had been lost, and Allum was among those swimming and diving in comparatively shallow water about 20yd s . from the shore in an attempt to And it. The launch with a party aboard, including Gibbs, had just returned from a near-by township with , provisions. Some had transhipped from the launch to a dinghy and had just reached shore when they were startled by a scream. They turned and saw Allum disappear under the water in a 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 hesitate- In a moment he was in the water, actually astride the shark, according to one account, and soon he had grasped Allum. In an interview, Gibbs. a slimlybuilt youth ,tojd of hi s fight to save his young mate. "I heard the boy shout out in pain," he said, "and then I saw a grey object shoot through the water. Allum threw up his arms and then went under. When I swam to him, I 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 I think the shark aj?ain attacked him.

Both Feet on Sharks' Hack. "When I clutched Allum the shark

swam under me, and for a moment 1 stook with both my feet on "its back. ] struck at the water, and touched what I thought to be its fin. _I fancy ' the shark must have become .frightened, for it did not return to the at- ' tack. Awaiting help. I kicked and splashed the water to keep the monster away, and then we were hauled into a rowing boat.' "I was treading water, holding' up young Mervyn. . . My bare feet touched the shark swiiuming under us ... It came at Mervya again. . , 1 punched and kicked it, and it released its hold. . . That's all." These were snatches of the story wrung from Gibbs by another interviewer. In an official report, Constable Norman Billett stated: "The victim was swimming in several feet of water when all of a sudden he screamed for help and started to splash furiously. Then a shark jumped over the top of him and took him under the water. Both he 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 back, and started to punch it with both fists. It let go its hold or the boy, and circled round while a boat was going to their assistance." Death of the Victim. Poor young Allum died shortly after he was brought ashore. He was then in terrible agony, being conscious. His flesh was stripped from his left leg from the hip to the ankte. He was also bitten on the body, and the shark apparently attacked %lm three times. A few weeks ago men familiar with the sharks' habits predicted that this summer would be a bad one for bathers. They particularly warned bathers to be careful after the turn of ■the year, as at that time the sharks' natural prey have gone north, and the monsters then become ravenous and are prone to attack human beings. This is beipg borne out, for several times sharks have appeared off the broaches ,and on the same afternoon as the Port Hacking fatality ,two were prevented from attacking swimmers competing }n a surf race by the action and promptitude of the crew of a surf boat in attacking and frightening them with their oars.