EXCITEMENT AT LYALL BAY

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 99, 22 January 1924, Page 6

EXCITEMENT AT LYALL BAY

SIX-FOOT SHARK AMONG THE BATHERS FISH CAUGHT BY TAIL AND DRAGGED ASHORE Great excitement was caused among thirty or forty swimmers at Lyall Bay shortly after 10 o’clock yesterday morning, when a blue shark, over six feet in length, was noticed swimming slowly in shallow water among the bathers. Two ladies first noticed the shark in about three feet of water. They gave the alarm, and there was a stampede for dry land. Messrs. F. Thomas, R. Horn (both of the Lyall Bay Surf Club), and L. Curtice pluckily went into the water and found that the shark -was still cruising about slowly in shallow water. It seemed to be in no hurry to attack or elude them, and they grasped it by the tail. The shark threw its head, up out of the water in an attempt to snap at its attackers, but they hung on and pulled it up on the beach. The shark was about 6ft. 6in. in length, and was of a blue colour. Its mouth was Bin. wide, and was armed with a formidable row of teeth. It was large enough to have done serious damage if it had seized a. swimmer, but it seemed to be either sick or of a species which does not grow-to a large size, or it may have reached an age when it was comparatively harmless. The beach custodian, Mr. Binns, reassured the bathers (mostly women and children) that this wag the first shark that had been seen in thejneinity, and within ten minutes the bathers were all back in the w&tet enjoying one of the most pleasurable days for swimming this season.