KILLED BY A SHARK.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2746, 26 February 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

KILLED BY A SHARK.

A NEWCASTLE HORROR

A boy named Alfred Victor GluloiV was swimming in the harbor at Ae\\castlo on the morning of January 2b, when ho was caught by a shark, and his right leg was bitten right otf close to the thigh. Clulow, who was fifteen years of age, went swimming with a companion named E. Simpson at Carrington, which is some distance up the harbor. At about eleven o’clock 'Simpson dived off the jetty and swam round for a few-minutes, and then clambered up to the jettv. He was close in shore, when just afterwards, and on coming to the surface again started to swim back to the jetty. He was close inshore, when there was a whirl in the water, and tiie unfortunate boy called cut in agonised tones, and then disappeared. His companion, watching from the top, saw the commotion continue in the water, and then the boy appeared again, the water around him being discolored with blood. He struggled to the bank, and Simpson ran down and pulled him out. The latter was horntied to see that Clulow’s right leg was severed almost to tho thigh, whilst the fingers of his left hand were badly bitten, and were only hanging to his hand by the skin. ‘ Two other boys near by named smith were called, and they summoned the police, who secured the ambulance, and quickly took the boy to the hospital. .He was conscious all the way to the mstitution. and was suffering fearful pain. Whilst the doctor was examining him ho begged piteously to be given something to put him out of his agony. No ligature had been put round the leg -when he Was being brought to the hospital, and though he had lost a great deal of blood, and was, in addition, suffering .greatly from shock, the bo-y. displayed .remarkable fortitude. He remained’ 'conscious all the time • the doctors were washing the wound, and was able to describe the occurrence to those around him. Clulow was operated on shortly after being taken to the hospital, but whilst under the anaesthetic he showed signs of distress, and the operation was not completed. In the afternoon ho rallied, and was conscious for some time, but afterwards he gradually weakened, and died from shock and loss of bloou. It is believed that when the shark first made for the unfortunate boy he tried to ward it off with liis hand, and it grasped his fingers. It then caught his log, which was taken off as with a knife, so that the shark must have been an exceptionally large one. The wonder is that the boy hud the strength and the courage to struggle to the shore as he did. The doctors at the hospital stated whim dressing the wound that they had seldom seen such pluck and fortitude, especially ill a boy. The shock and loss of blood would probably have caused the death of most men before the hospital was reached. In -addition to the loss of the right leg and the crushing of the left, hand, the hoy’s left leg was also badly bitten. There are a great number of sharks round the harbor and the beaches at Newcastle at present. They have evidently been attracted to the vicinity by the carcases of stock that are being washed down the river by the floods, and can be seen round the wharves , and-breakwaters every day. The boys ‘had been in the habit of swimming off tho wharves, and evidently did not realise their danger. The presence of the sharks, however, does not seem to deter surf-swimmers, who were on the Newcastle beach in hundreds, and many of them continually swgjn out beyond the line of breakers, despite tho warnings of members of the Surf Club.