DEVOURED BY SHARKS

Southland Times, Issue 18971, 19 June 1923, Page 5

DEVOURED BY SHARKS

THE SYDNEY TRAGEDY. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright). (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) SYDNEY, June 18. Rigby had to swim a few yards only on his mission to obtain assistance when his comrades heard a cry and saw him dragged under. Butler, though badly exhausted, made desperate efforts to assist the other •two men clinging to the boat, but, overcome by cold and exhaustion, they dropped off. Butler managed to scramble into the boat, which however several times overturned before rescue came. The men were in the habit of going fishing. Powell had no intention of accompanying them on Saturday, but took the place of another who failed to turn up. The locality is infested with sharks, and at this time of the year they are reported to be exceptionally savage, owing to the absence of the usual schools of fish. According to later details Rigby endeavoured to swim ashore, a distance of two miles, for assistance, when he was seized by a shark. The remainder clung to the upturned boat, but Clarke and Powell became exhausted and sank. Butler climbed into the boat which had turned into its right position, and standing waist-high in the water, waved with his shirt to a collier loading at Woolongong. The collier steamed in his direction and rescued him. Whilst there is uncertainty regarding whether three were devoured by sharks, or drowned, Butler was inclined to think the former is the case. The victims were miners, and all married. Rigby had five children, Clarke four, and Powell three.