HAND BLOWN OFF

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 14 June 1939, Page 10

HAND BLOWN OFF

GELIGNITE EXPLODES DALMATIAN’S ORDEAL FRIGHTENING A SHARK In attempting to frighten a shark j by exploding a plug of gelignite. Mr ! John Cuianavich. a Dalmatian from 1 the Ahipara gumfields. had one of his j hands blown off at Ninety-Mile Beach [ on Sunday. In great pain. Mr Cuiana- ! vich walked back to his shack on the gumfields, where a motor car was se- | cured to take him to the Mangonui j County Hospital. With a companion. Mr Cuianavich ' left the gumfields. at the southern end of the Ninctv-Mile Beach, on Sunday j morning to go fishing. When they ' l eached the beach shortly after eleven j o'clock, they saw' a large shark, which : they estimated to be between 16ft and 18ft in length, cruising off the shore. The presence of the shark made it impossible for them to go into the water 1 to net fish, and Mr Cuianavich, who had a plug of gelignite, decided to use it to j frighten the shark away. He prepared a fuse and wailed until the shark was within about 12ft of him. expecting: that it would continue steadily on its j Mr Cuianavich then lit the fuse from his cigarette, and stood by waiting for the shark to pass. At the last moment, however, the fhark turned suddenly' and went in another direction. In his 1 surprise, Mr Cuianavich held on to the stick of gelignite too long and it ex- j ploded, blowing his hand off. To stop the bleeding. Mr Cuianavieh’3 j companion applied a tourniquet. Mr i Cuianavich later received attention at • the Mangonui County Hospital.