Shark tows dinghy

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 1

Shark tows dinghy

An 18ft shark, lassoed from a set net at Boulder Bay, a mile from Taylors Mistake yesterday morning, later towed its three captors in a dinghy round to Sumner Beach, before snapping the tow-rope and swimming free.

Messrs R. Smith, of Methven, and H. Scott and his 12-year-old son, Eric, of Moncks Spur, went at 8 a.m. to inspect their net, set the night before and discovered the shark, which they thought was dead.

Its tail was lassoed from an Bft dinghy and the trio were getting ready to tow the shark ashore when it suddenly burst into life and headed out to sea, taking the dinghy with it. For the next two hours the men fought to capture the shark and were nearly swamped several times. Their dinghy was towed “in circles” five miles to Sumner.

At 10.30 a.m., off the beach, their plight was noticed from the shore and a launch put out to rescue them. Before it arrived the shark sounded, nearly taking the dinghy with it.

“I thought I would have to cut the line as water was coming in over the stern, but we just hung on until the launch arrived. I gave the rope over to them and they started towards the shore, but the nylon rope snapped near the shark and it swam away,” said Mr Smith.

“I was a bit disappointed. I was thinking of putting a tripod up on the beach and taking a few photographs.” Mr Smith said he had seen several sharks in Australia while a surf life-saver there “and this was one of the biggest.”