SEIZED BY OCTOPUS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1930, Page 5

SEIZED BY OCTOPUS

IN SYDNEY HARBOUR.

SYDNEY, October 15.

Mr. C. Messenger, a fisherman, and launch proprietor, had the alarming experience in Sydney Harbour of being seized under water by a large octopus. It was with difficulty that he reached the surface. Clad only in a bathing costume, Messenger dived to examine the position of his launch, which had sunk in about 25 feet of water off Darling Point. Just as his dive brought him to the boat he felt something clutch his back. He thought it was some seaweed, and took no notice of it. A few moments afterwards he went to rise to . the surface and found himself held. He struggled round and was horrified to see an octopus, about two feet across the body, whose long tentacles held him and part of the boat. Messenger tried to lever them off, but others enveloped him . Finally, when his strength was nearly exhausted ho thought of a rope which had been let down for salvage purposes. He seized it and was quickly drawn to the top. The octopus clung to him till they reached the surface, where it detached itself and slipped to the bottom.

The fisherman said he had only once or twice seen a larger octopus in Sydney, and had never known them to attack anyone in the harbour.