The Bathing Fatality

Woodville Examiner, Volume XIV, Issue 2610, 23 December 1896, Page 4

The Bathing Fatality

Tho f.»llowin« is tho 11. B. II raid';! account of the death of Mr .lifighr, Cooper, who was attacked by a shark in the Napier harbor ou Smi day morning:— The community was terribly shocked yesterday by the news which was speedily circulated that Mr Bright Cooper had been attacked by a shark, while bathing in the rca olr* tho Marine Pnrade, nearly opposite the Esplanade Hotel. There Ikiv" boon several bathing fatalities in that locality, but none have been of so shocking and so painful a nature as that which it is our duty to chronicle this morning. The sea looked so tempting in this hot weather that although sharks are known to venture close to the shore sj'iietiinos, none of tho bathers have in tho past looked upon this knowledge as a deterrent to enjoying the" pleasures of a dip in the Mr Cooper went in for a bathe in company with Dr Sweet and Mr Goudy about eight o'clock in the morning. The former, being a powerful swimmer, naturally found bi-r,sc!f quite at home in the water, and swam, as is his wont, a distance out, some twenty yards from the shore. Thcro was a number of boys ou' tho beach, whose attention was suddenly directed by a shark making towards Cooper. Dr Sweet and Mr Goudy had by this time reached the shore". The "boys threw stones at the slvuk and shouted with a view to frightening it. Up to this neither Dr Sweet nor Mr Goudy had any idea of the presence of the shark, but looking in the direction of Cooper they saw to %ir great dismay that the monster was in close proximity to Cooper. Other bathers were swimming not far oft',including Messrs F. W. Triggs and A. G. Saxby. Tho latter, whilst swimming about;, had been startled at sec kg a shark pass within a short distanced him, some fifteen yards one. Saxby at once swam ashore, calling out to Triggs, "There's a shark there, Triggs; look out!" The whole thing happened very quickly. Before anybody on shore knew what was transpiring the shark had tackled Cooper. Dr Sweet and Mr Goudy immediately went to Cooper's help, calling at the same time for some of the others to accompany them. Mr Triggs (who had not7ct left the water), and Mr Saxby (who was by this time ashore), at once joined issue, and together'they got hold of Cooper's body, the shark still being visible, swimming close by. When Cooper was brought ashore there was still life in the body, but the unfortunate man presented a hid-'ous sight. The right hand up to the wrist had been bitten clean . if. The left arm from the elbow was r, one, and the remaining portion of the arm all torn. The left shoulder seemed to have been very badly bift< n. The left side over the heart revealed a terrible gash. The left loin was mostly bitten away, while there were big scars on both knee?. The right side had also been badlv attacked, a considerable portion'of tho flesh being horribly bitten. The body was removed to the Esplanade Hotel. From the above it must be apparent that Cooper had a severe fight with the demon. The whole incident occupied but a couple of minutes. He was swimming the over-arm style at the time, but it is mere conjecture to say where he was first attacked. The fact that an arm and hand were bitten off would seem to indicate that Cooper had fonsht the shark severely, and he j being such' a strong swimmer the j circumstances naturally point to a struggle, though he never cried out, and Nobody knew that anything serious has happened until the water became reddened with blond. This phase of the matter will never be cleared up, though naturally there are many rumors about how Cooper fought the brute. The evidence of th"'i''.'.'!uul eye-witnesses, should be sufficient on that point. Cooper loved set-h tilling, aad thought nothing of a long'-vim towards the breakwater when he was in the water. The action of the gentlemen who swam oat to Cooper i.-i deserving of the very highest commendation. Deceased Ws a fine athletic young fellow, about ; : )0 years of age, and highly esteemed by a large circle of acquaintances. Be was a part owner with Mr Abbott in the Ardlussarun. His father resides in Manchester. Deceased* wb understand, was to have b'vn married shortly, and intended taking the steamer for Auckland in a few days:- He won a swimming championship in Scotlam! ; and only recently, at the Napier swimming Club's sports, won firt for a line exhibition of swimmmg. ll'u partner whs without delay acquainted of the sad fatality, Mr Alboot, luming into lown as soon as the (iis're: shi!i riws was broken to him. ! bn-tber iCrnest is at present in South Africa. At the inquc-d, the jury, after a few ini \'t ;> re'ib ration, found that dicea-a d died from injuries inflicted by atluirk.