KILLED BY SHARK

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 78, 15 March 1935, Page 10

KILLED BY SHARK

• ♦ Another Sydney Tragedy SURF BATHER'S FATE Herbert McFarlane, aged 22, a young Sydney man, a well-known lootbailer, was attacked by a shark and fatally injured while swimming alone at North Xarrabeen. beach at dusk on Saturday, March 2. Mr McFarlane, accompanied by Colin Welsh, went into the eurf. A very poor surf was running at the time, and the Hsing tide had torn a deep channel along the beach, practically to the water's edge. Mr Welsh urged his friend to go to the rock pool, but Mr McFarlane said that he would wait until he caught “one good shoot’’ before i rejoining him, A few minutes later William Hardie joined Mr McFarlane. The two men waited patiently for a wave some 30 vards from the shore, and then Mr McFarlane said he would try his luck further down the beach, and he swam toward the (southern end, a distance of some 100 yards from Mr Handle. The beach was practically deserted at the time. A few minutes after desperate screams and cries for help were heard from the lone bather. The waves around him were suddenly stained crimson in a Biml of water, and he lashed out wildly with bis arm<s. Then he commenced to struggle toward the shore, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Mr Hardie heard the cries and struck out toward the struggling victim of the attack. The cross-current, however, swept him back, and he decided to swim ashore first. A long breaker flung him on the beach, and he raced along the sand to a point opposite Mr McFarlane before entering the water again and su imming to hie aid. .HEX TO RESILE Ln the meantime the frantic screams had been heard in the clubhouse, and John Barrett. ag<d 27, Ken Harding, of the surf club, and Carl Read, aged 27. dashed down to the beach. Mr Barrett plunged straight into the channel ami swam out to Mr McFarlane, while Mr Read donned the belt, and Mr Harding manned the reel. Mr McFarlane was floundering in the water about 30 yards from the shore and was slowly being washed toward the beach when Nir Barrett reached him “Get me in,’’ he erics when he saw hitrescuer. “1 can’t breathe.’’ Mr Barrett seized him by the shoulders ami commenced to drag him to the shore. A I few minutes after the beltman arrived 1 and relieved Mr Barrett. Mr Hardie j was also on the scene, and the three I men assisted the victim to the shore. A trail of blood extending back for 30 yards followed them to the beach When Mr McFarlane was carried to the beach the terrible nature of his in juries was revealed. The flesh bad been ’ torn from his knee to the thigh, baring

the bone and sev< ring the main arterio The nature of the injury prevented a tourniquet from being applied, but towels were wrapped aiouud the wound to staunch the flow of blood. A dot tor and ambulance arrived and after Mr McFarlane had been given an injection he was takeu quickly to hospital. On arrival there, however, it was found that the injured man died on the journey . RESCUER S SLOlfo “1 was looking out of the window oi the clubhouse when I heard Mr M' Farlane cry out.’ - said Mr Barrett. "I could see him struggling. and 1 shouted to the others as I was running down the stairs. 1 sprinted across the sand and dived in. When 1 reached him Mr McFarlane was practically done. He was gasping for breach ami swimming almost automatically, but there was no strength in his strokes. He went limp »s I grasped him, but kept muttering that he could not breathe. Blood was

streaming from his tiiriblu wound. Then the others arrived with the belt, and ne got him ashore. He was conscious throughout.’’ “1 think the shark must have t ome up the channel from behind Mr McFarlane, ’’ said Mr Hardie, who assisted in the rescue. “I heard him scream out and tried to reach him by swimming across into the current, but was driven back. He was slowly being washed towaid the shore an<i stiuggling impute fitly. 1 suam ashore and then went in again, hut the others got there first, and | just helped to bling him in.’’ Mr M( Earlane was a well-known footballer, and played in the reserve and fiict grade of the distiict Rugby Inion team, 'I here have been a total of five fatal shark attacks this season within the Sydney metropolitan area.