FIGHT WITH A SHARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18041, 16 March 1922, Page 7

FIGHT WITH A SHARK.

TRAGEDY AT COOGEE.

MONSTER'S FURIOUS ATTACK

TEREIBLE WOUNDS INFLICTED.

In a terrible struggle with a shark in the gnrf at Coogee on March 2, Mervyn Gannon received injuries to which he succumbed two days later. Gannon, who I was 21 years of age, enlisted at the age I of 1? years, and saw service in Prance. On his return, he took up motor engineering, ajid was employed at Randwick. M His death was the third within a ' ! month- The first took place at Coogee, 3 Milton Coughlan being so terribly injured ' that he died within a few hours of a gal- • ant rescue by Mr. J. Chalmers. A week ) later Norman Whiteley disappeared while _ taking a solitary swim at Bilgola Beach, . and the portions of a human body and the remnants of a bathing costume after- ■ wards found led to the belief that he had , fallen victim to a shark. Describing the , third tragedy the Sydney Morning Herald j .says: — Terrified Bathers. Shortly before 11 o'clock about 30 peoplo , wore- surfing in front of the Coogee surf shed 3. It was about half-tide, and a i sandbank running out from an inshorechannel furnished footing for the surfers within 25yds. of the beach. Foremost of these was Mervyn Gannon, a local resident, who was a daily frequenter of the surf. There was a "pull" in the channel, and Beach-Inspector J. Brown, from the opening in the surf shed, was keeping a watchful eye on the surfers. Suddenly the inspector saw the dread triangu! r Sn of a shark cleaving its way toward Gannon. Uttering a cry of warnin;; Brown leapt to the beach, and discarding his shorts as he ran, entered the water. His warning was heard, and the terrified bathers made frantic haste to regain the beach. All except one, young -Einnon, who, seeing the shark's onslaught, turned to fight. It was a terrible fight that ensued— Gannon fighting with doggedne&s and the Digger spirit that would not accept defoat, and the shark attacking with a fierce tenacity that disregarded the knee-deep surf.

r I To the spectators it 6cemed that Gannon moved as the shark swung toward him and punched at it. Bdt when his arm [ —it was the right—came out of the water j there was but a bleeding Btump where the , hand had been- A small shoot then rolled , toward the beach, and Gannon took it. ' Repeated Attacks. But the taste of blood had evidently i ■ maddened the shark, and again it attacked the surfer. His left hand was sJI ) that was left Gannon, and with this he i punched at the open jaws. Again with ' no avail, and the water was again blood--1 stained from the mutilated hands. 1 The two attacks were only matters of 1 seconds, and by this time Brown had reached Ganr on. Another surfer, Ernest 1 Carr, reached him at the same time. 1 Each took an arm and they were halfleadintr. half-carrying Gannon to safety when the shark made its third and most desperate attack. The horror-stricken spectators on the beach saw the monster turn on its belly and almost leap at Gannon. The shock of the impact shook the rescuers as the shark dashed at Gannon's back, bnt they never relaxed their grip, even though the shark was almost at their knees. It was splendid gallantry and eventually they reached the beach I with their sore-stricken burden. I Gannon was still conscious, and he was at once hurried away to St. Vincent's Hospital by the local ambulancj, The unfortunate younsr man was admitted by Dr. A. B. Curmineham, who afterwards stated that Gannon's rirfit band was off at tho wrist; his left hand was so mutilated that most of it would have to be amputated; while the main iniury was to the lower portion of the back. The I ton of the buttock and tti© lower portion | of the bfick were stripoed of flesh risrht I down to the end of the spine, and rows of jaeged cuts in the leu indicated where the shark's teeth had penetrated. Jumped on the Shark. It was at the hospital that Gannon told the story of the great, but one-sided, fight, to his aunt, Mrs. Sladen, of Coogee, ', who was summoned to the hospital. I "I saw a shark when it was about ' 10yds. away from me," he said. "As 1 it came in I managed to jump on it. 1 But like a flash it slithered away from under me, and as I tried to punch it away it grabbed my right hand. It was an awful feeling, but I managed to get on a little ' shoot' that came along. The shark came at me again. I tried my left this time, but it was no good—it got me again. Then Brown and the 1 other chap* reached me. We were get--1 tine along nicely when the shark tore at my back. I thought my heart would stop , beating, but we managed to get They were great chaps. ... It will be awkward with one arm," he concluded. "and maybe I won't have any. But I'm not zoine to die." Describing the rescue, Brown said that they had almost reached the beach when i the shark made another dash at Gannon. " The brute bit him with such fore j that the shock jolted us forward, and then, as the shark pulled back, jerked us back. It was a terribly strong pull, but we managed to hang on. Gannon was conscious [the whole time, and was as plucky as they make them." After a lone and painful struggle for life Gannon died at St. Vincent's Hospital on the following Saturday morning at 5 o'clock. He retained consciousness and was calm and collected throughout the whole of his suffering, i Shortly before midnight on the evening lof the accident it was considered his oonI dition warranted an operation. Gas gangrene supervened, however, and a further slight operation was deemed necessary. Although this was performed, it was found impossible to check the gas infection. Early on Saturday morning it was seen that he was slowly sinking, and his death later was not unexpected, despite the fact that he was remarkably vivacious to the end. CONCLUSION OS INQUEST. TRIBUTE TO BRAVE MENAustralian and N.Z. Cable Association. fEe d. 9.55 P.m.) SYDNEY, March 16 The inquest regarding the death of Mervyn Gannon was concluded to-day. The coroner said he was unible to decide on the evidence who rescued Gannon, but, it was sufficient to show that they were brave men and did everything humanly i possible to rescue him-