EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1918, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY INCIDENT.

MAN ESCAPES FROM SHARK There was an extraordinary incident in the harbour says the Sydney correspondent of the Du'ncdin Star, writing on the 23rd mat., when a man who jumped from a ferry boat escaped from a huge •shark, which attacked him while Jie was swimming. The man's name is Ansell, and he is a ship's fireman, 28 years old. Ho was seated on a ferry steamer, coming from Paramatta river, and lie suldenly sprang up, screamed out "They want my life," and jumped overboard. Other passengers gave the alarm, and the steamer, after going a considerable distance, was brought round. Meanwhile the man, watched .by the passengers, began swimming strongly towards the shore. Suddenly the fin "of a huge shark appeared behind the swimmer, and approaching him The horrified people on the ferry began to yell a warning at Ansell, but he swam on unheeding. The monster rushed straight at Ansell, who at the last moment realised his dander, ar,d screamed and splashed madly. The commotion scared off the shark, which sheered off for a moment, and circled round. It beat the water into a foam with its tail, and dashed in again. Again the frantic man fought backhand again the shark sheered oil'. It rushed at him once or twice more, nuzzling him with its snout, but, strange to say, not seizing him, and then it dived. A moment later the terrified man was thrown right out of the water on the nose of the shark as it came again to the surface. By this time a large launch attracted by the commotion in the water and the manoeuvring ferry boat, came tip, and dashed to the rescue of the man. The shark then disappeared, and the wretched fireman with some difficulty w.is hauled out of the water in a state of collapse and put aboard the ferry-boat. He still persisted in his tale that there was someone on the boat >vit!» designs on his life, lie was brought to Sydney and placed under medical observation. His escape from a horrible death is considered by the many who witnessed it as nothing short of miraculous.