FOLLOWED BY SHARKS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1930, Page 3

FOLLOWED BY SHARKS

; -. .. —77 —., ■ j I ! AVIATOR’S CLOSE CALL. Suva,’ Noy. Captain Fenton, M.C.,, when flymg tp Taviuni with a supply .of serum for a serious case of tetanus, found’ that his engine had gope wrong when over a. raging’ ; : some three miles out from Savu Savu lighthouse. He alighted and foimd-That besides engine trouble, which he’, could have remedied, there was a. leaking!petrol , pipe, which had to be soldered. ’. He drifted on, with great difficulty holding hie ; machine.up head-on to the waves. . J /T/. After half ah hour a native cutter came.!along, but it could not .get close to the machine without danger. A dinghy /was: lowered, but it also had to hold away, waiting in case of a capsize, which seemed quite possible any minute. ,To add to the poignancy, of the situation Captain Fenton suddenly saw that three big snarks were quietly circling the machine. Thia/did not make him any the more comfortable. ! For three hours the machine drifted, until at last it drew inside the reef to safety.. It was. a close'call. ; ' /