FOUR HOURS’ SWIM

Evening Star, Issue 22890, 23 February 1938, Page 9

FOUR HOURS’ SWIM

THROUGH SHARK-INFESTED WATERS FIERCE FIRE OH LUGGER After having been nearly trapped in the engine room of a blazing lugger when, his terror-stricken aboriginal crew had dived overboard, Stirling Eshelby, a young peanut grower, swam three miles to the shore through shark-in-fested waters near Darwin recently. Eshelby had borrowed the _ lugger Prairie Moon to search for his scow, which was three weeks overdue, from Bynoe Harbour, where it had gone for timber for his peanut farm at Point Charles. The Prairie Moon ran out of petrol when about three miles from Quail Island, which is about 40 miles from Darwin. An aborigine was pouring their last tin of petrol into the tank when the backfired and the engine room burst into flames. Badly burned about the arms and legs, the aborigine clambered out of the engine room, and, screaming with terror, dived overheard. He was followed by the remainder of the crew. Eshelby scrambled down and attempted to rmother the flames. His shouts brought the terrified crew back to the boat, but when the flames began to gain control the aborigines again dived overboard, After an unsuccessful effort to subdue the flames Eshelby decided to abandon the lugger. A heavy sea was running, and! only one person could remain in safety in the small flat-bot-tomed 6ft dinghy which the lugger carried. - The other four hung on to the sides trying to push it towards the distant land.

As each aborigine weakened Kshclby ordered him into tile boat, and the man already in the boat was ordered to swim behind. Eshelby himself swam the entire distance. A few hours later the missing scow arrived, attracted by the flames of the burning lugger. The scow reached Darwin later.