SHARK TRAGEDY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 72

SHARK TRAGEDY.

BOY FATALLY MAULED. (übom Oub Own Correspondent.) \ SYDNEY, January 7. The first of this season’s shark tragedies occurred at Grey’s Point, Port Hacking, a pleasure resort about 20 miles from Sydney, on Monday last, a public holiday, resulting in the death of Mervyn Allum, aged 15 years. As in so many other shark tragedies of the past, this was marked by great gallantry on the part of Stanley Gibbs, a young man, who fought the shark with bare fists in an endeavour to free Allum from its horrible jaws. Allum was spending the holidays at his family’s week-end camp, the party comprising about 14 people. Earlier in the morning thq anchor from the family’s launch had been lost, and Allum was among those swimming and diving in comparatively shallow water about 20 yards from the shore in an attempt to find itThe launch with a party abroad, including Gibbs, had just returned from a nearby township with provisions. Some had transhipped from the launch to a dinghy, and had just reached the shore, when they were startled by a scream. They turned and saw Allum disappear under the water in a flurry of foam. They saw the white belly of the shark as it turned to attack again, and the water became tinged with blood. Gibbs did not hesitate. In a moment he was in the water, actually astride the shark, according to one account, and soon he had grasped Allum. In an interview, Gibbs, a slimly-built youth, told of his to save his young mate. “I heard the boy shout out in pain,” he said, “and then I saw a grey object shoot through the water. Allum threw up his arms and then went under. When I swam to him, I called out, ‘Give me your hand, Merv,’ and tried to grab hold of him. The shark must have got him again just then, for he was pulled out of my grip. I caught hold of him a second time, and I think the shark again attacked him. When I clutched Allum the shark swam under me, and for n m’oment I stood with both my feet o:« its back. I struck at the water, and touched what I thought to be its fine. I fancy the shark must have became frightened, for .it did not return t 0 the attack. Awaiting help, I kicked and splashed the water to keep the monster away, "and then we were hauled into a rowing boat.” “I was treading water, holding up young Mervyn. My bare feet touched the shark swimming under us. It came at Mervyn again. I punched and kicked it, and it released its hold. That’s all.” These were snatches of the story wrung from Gibbs by another interviewer. Yet an even more astounding story is told by an eye-witness, Constable Norman Billet, attached to the photographic section of the Police Department. In a.n official report, Constable Billett stated: “The victim was swimming in several feet of water when all of a sudden he screamed for help and started to splash furiously. Then a shark jumped over the top of him and took him under the- water. Both he and the shark came to the top again, and Stanley Gibbs, ’who was standing on the nose of a launch, jumped straddle-legs across the shark’s back, and started to punch it with both fists. It let go its hold of the boy, and circled round while a boat was going to- their assistance.” Poor young Allum died shortly after he was brought ashore. He was" then in terrible agony, being conscious. His flesh was stripped from his left leg from the hip to the ankle. He was also bitten on the body ,and the shark apparently attacked him three times. SHARKS PLENTIFUL AND RAVENOUS. A few weeks ago men familar with the sharks habits predicted that this summer would be a bad one for bathers. They particularly warned bathers to be careful after the turn of the year, as at that time the sharks natural prey have gone north, and the monsters then become ravenous aiid are prone to attack human beings. This is being borne out, for several times sharks have appeared off the beaches, and on the same afternoon as the Port Hacking fatality, two were prevented from attacking swimmers competing in a surf race bv the action and promptitude of a crew of a surf boat attacking and frightening them with their oars.