SURFING AT SYDNEY

Southland Times, Issue 19502, 17 March 1925, Page 7

SURFING AT SYDNEY

AN EXCITING SUNDAY. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, March 16. One tragedy, a shark scare, several narrow escapes and many fine rescues were associated with surf bathing at the Sydney beaches on Sunday. A party of five young men entered the water at Collaroy several hundred yards from the flagged safety area. They were soon in difficulties. Two managed to struggle ashore and two of the others were rescued by life savers, but there was no trace of the fifth. There is little doubt he was carried out and drowned. The unfortunate man’s name was Ernest Hayes, aged 20, of Beecroft. During the progress of an exhibition by members of a surf life-saving Club at Newport it was arranged to illustrate- to the visiting New Zealand oarsmen the methods adopted in surf life-saving work. An ununusually dangerous sea gave it an unexpected flavour of realism and three fine rescues were effected. Considerable excitement was caused at Bondi when it was reported that a shark had been seen prowling just beyond the breakers, and bathers were not allowed to enter the water for half an hour, when it was reported that the monster has disappeared.