BATHERS REPORT SIGHTING SHARK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 2

BATHERS REPORT SIGHTING SHARK.

WERE BEYOND BREAKERS OFF SUMNER BEACH.

A twelve-foot shark gave three men a chase off Sumner beach yesterday, but they managed to get ashore safely. “ I think publicity should be given to the fact,” said Mr E. Jones, of 65, Rugby Street, this morning when telling a “ Star ” reporter about the incident. “ There is no doubt about it being a shark. I have been swimming for twenty years and well know the difference between a shark and a porpoise. ■

“ Three of us, one a member of the Surf Club, were out beyond the breakers, just in a line, with the boatsheds at Scarborough, and two of us further out than the third saw the shark coming in on the top of a wave. We beat it for the shore. The man who - was further in than us, thought we were having a race when he saw us all out, but then he looked seaward and when he saw the shark he also made a bee line for the beach. “ The shark came up alongside us on the left-hand side and turned over on his back as sharks are said to do before taking the bait. Then he straightened up and again swam across in front of us, and followed us upon the right-hand side. “ It looked to me as if he was only waiting for one of us to drop back. We made as much commotion in the water as we could, and this seemed to stave him off. When we were in water up to our knees we saw the shark about five yards further out, and he looked to me to be about eighteen inches in the beam.

“ People got out of the water when we told what had happened, and the shark was also plainly seen by people from the beach. He was hanging around until about four o’clock, and I was surprised to see some of the stronger of the swimmers go out beyond the line of breakers, even after what had happened.”