FIGHT WITH A SHARK.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1922, Page 12

FIGHT WITH A SHARK.

TRAGEDY AT COOGEE. MONSTER’S FURIOUS ATTACK. TERRIBLE WOUNDS INFLICTED. Jn a terrible struggle with a shark in the surf at Coogee on March 2, Mervyn Gannon received injuries to which he succumbed two days later. Gannon, who was 21 years of age, enlisted at the age of 17 years, and saw service in France. On his return, he took up motor engineering, and was employed at Randwick. His death was the third within a month. The first took place at Coogee, Milton Coughlan being so terribly injured that he died within a few hours of a gallant rescue by Mr. J. Chalmers. A week later Norman Whiteley disappeared while taking a solitary swim at Bilgola Beach, and the portions of a human body and the remnants o-f a bathing costume afterwards found led to the belief that he had fallen victim to a shark. Describing the third tragedy the Sydney Morning Herald says: TERRIFIED BATHERS. Shortly before 11 o’clock about 30 people were surfing in front of the Coogee surf sheds. It was about half-tide, and a sandbank running out from an inshore channel furnished -footing for the surfers within 25yds. of the beach. Foremost of these was Mervyn Gannon, a local resident, who was a.daily frequenter of the surf. There was a “pull” in the channel, and Beach-Inspector J. Brown, from the opening in the surf shed, was keeping a watchful eye on the surfers. Suddenly the inspector saw the dread triangular fin of a shark cleaving its way toward Gannon. Uttering a cry of warning Brown leapt to the beach, and discarding his shorts as he ran, entered the water. His warning was heard, and the terrified bathers made frantic haste to regain the beach. All except one, young Gannon, who, seeing the shark’s onslaught, turned to fight. It was a terrible fight that ensued— Gannon fighting with doggedness and the Digger spirit that would not accept defeat, and the shark attacking with a fierce tenacity that disregarded the knee-deep surf. To the spectators it seemed that Gannon moved as the shark swung toward him and punched at it. But when his arm—it was the right—came out of the water there was but a bleeding stump where the hand had been. A small shoot then rolled toward the beach, and Gannon took it. REPEATED ATTACKS. But the taste of blood had evidently maddened the shark, and again it attacked the surfer. His left hand was all that was left Gannon, and with this he punched at the open jaws. Again with no avail, and the water was again blood-stained from the mutilated hand. The two attacks were only matters of seconds, and by this time Brown had reached Gannon. Another surfer, Ernest Carr, reached him at t|ie same time. Each took an arm and they were halfleading, half-carrying Gannon to safety when the shark made its third and most desperate attack. The horror-stricken spectators on the beach saw th? monster turn on its belly and almost leap at Gannon. The shock of the impact shook the rescuers as the shark dashed at Gannon's back, but they never relaxed their grip, evfn though the shark was almost at their knees. It was •-piendid, gallantry and eventually they reached the beach with their' sorestricken burden.

Gannon was still conscious, and he was at once hurried away to St. Vincent’s Hospital by the local ambulance. The unfortunate young man was admitted by Dr. A. B. Cunningham, who afterwards tsated that Gannon’s right hand was off' at the wrist; his left hand was sp mutilated that most of it would have to be amputated; while the main injury was to the lower portion of the back. The top of the buttock and the lower portion of the back were stripped of flesh right down to the end of the sphie, and rows of jagged cuts in the leg indicated where the shark’s teeth had penetrated. JUMPED ON THE SHARK. It was at the hospital that Gannon todd the story of the great, but onesided, fight, to his aunt, Mrs. Sladen, of Coogee, who was summoned to the hospital. “I saw a shark when it was about 10yds. away from me.” he said. “As it came in I managed to jump on it. But like a flash it slithered away from under me, and as I tried to punch it away it grabbed my right hand. It was an awful feeling, but I managed to get on a little ‘shoot’ that came along. The shark came at me again. 1 tried my left this time, but it was no good—it got me again. Then Brown and the other ehap reached me. We were,getting along nicely when the shark tore at my back. 1 thought rnv heart would stop beating, but we managed to get in. They were great chaps .... It will be awkward with one arm.” he concluded, “and maybe T won’t have any. But I'm not going to die.” Describing the rescue, Brown said that they had almost reached the beach when the shark made another dash at Gannon. “The brute bit him with such force that the shock jolted us forward,and then, as the shark pulled back, jerked us back. It was a terribly strong pull, but we managed to hang on. Gannon was conscious the whole time, and was as plucky as they make them.” After a long and painful struggle for life Gannon died at St. Vincent’s Hospital" on the following Saturday morning at 5 o’clock. He retained consciousness and was calm and collected throughout the whole of his suffering.

Shortly before midnight on. the evening of the accident it was considered his condition warranted an operation. Gas gangrene supervened, however, and a further slight operation was deemed necessary. Although this was performed. it was found impossible to check, the gas infection. Early on Saturday morning it was seen that he wrts slowlv sinking, and his death later was not unexpected, despite the fact that he was remarkably vivacious to the end.