‘Shark’ was a floating log

Press, 30 December 1976, Page 4

‘Shark’ was a floating log

There was a brief shark I scare at New Brighton beach yesterday but the "sharks’’ turned out to be a floating log surrounded by seaweed. Three girls contacted the New Brighton police about 2 p.m. when they sighted what they thought were sharks just south of the old pier at New Brighton beach. The po’ice informed the New Brighton surf life saving patrol, which identified the sighting as a log and seaweed. A spokesman for. the Canterbury Surf Life Saving Association said that the procedure if shark sightings were confirmed was that the red and yellow flags marking the swimming area and on the club house would be replaced with red and white flags, and a large white metal disc with a red shark symbol placed on the beach.

I Sirens, alarms or whistles 1 are then sounded and bathers are requested to leave the water. "The main thing for the bathers is not to panic." said the spokesman. Paid patrolmen were instructed to remain in the patrolled areas, so their iob was made more difficult if bathers swam outside the patrolled areas. No other incidents were reported on Christchurch beaches yesterday. There I were large crowds until showers sent most home in mid-aftemoon. The rain also sent people home from the city’s public swimming pools. More than 1000 attended Jellie Park pool to 5 p.m., while Queen Elizabeth II Park had about 1300 and the Centennial pool had 700.