RESCUED FROM SHARKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

RESCUED FROM SHARKS.

AIRMAN'S SWIM TO SAVE A NEGRO. The bravery of a member o: tlte Royal South African Flying corps .named Charles Thomson in rescuing a negro from shark-infested waters in German South-West; Africa is recorded in the following letter from Captain 11, F. Batten, of the Flying Corps: "The negro, along with others, was exercising and 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 bad to swim 250 yards through water red with blood from the horse, that was being devoured by the sharks. He s\yan into a shoal of the brutes to the native, who could not swin an i)>.h, anti tlien( the struggle commem"The Kaffir naturally clutched hold of Thomson and they both went muter. When they came to the surface Thomson promptly knocked the wind out of the native, calmly (timed on his back, and returned to the shore with the unconscious native. Although n bit exhausted the young airman was done the worse, but it was a considerable time before the native came round." Captain Batten relates that Thomson walked up to him, saluted, and liegged to be excused for going into the water, as there were notices posted stating that no bathing was allowed owing !o the danger of sharks on that part of the coast. —Dally Mai'