Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Thursday 23 January 1936, page 18


BOY SEIZED BY SHARK AT WEST BEACH

Dragged Off Without Trace FOUR FT. OF WATER Eye-Witness's Story

With appalling swiftness, a 13-year- old North Adelaide boy was seized and carried off by a large shark while bath-ing in about four feet of water at West

Beach, midway between Henley Beach and Glenelg, about 6 p.m. yesterday. The victim was Raymond Bennett, about 13, newsboy, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. George Bennett, of Lombard street, North Adelaide. As the victim's father is seriously ill with a heart ailment, he was not in-formed last night of the tragedy. Leonard James Bedford, 18, of Dar-inga street, Mile-End, said that he was just about to enter the water at 6 p.m., when he heard a shriek from a spot about 300 yards away. "Glancing around, I saw a bather struggling about 20 yards from the water's edge," said Bedford. "Then I saw a large shark flash out of the water, and the bather disappeared. There was a splash, and I then saw the tail of a large shark sticking out of the water. There was some object near it. I ran to the spot, but I saw nothing more, only a foam on the sur-face of the water. Clothing On Beach "I found a boy's clothing and a leather bag lying on a bicycle on the beach, opposite where the boy disap-peared," continued Bedford. Evidently the boy had been wearing his bathers under his clothes, and had stripped off a few yards from the water's edge. I asked a man who was passing in a sulky to inform the Glenelg police of the tragedy, but evidently he did not do so. After having waited for about an hear, I cycled to the Glenelg Police Station myself, and informed them, at about 7.40 p.m., of what I had seen." Constable A. T. Hulster, of Henley Beach, was informed by telephone, and hurried to the scene in a motor car. It was then dark, and nothing could be seen in the water. In a pocket of the boy's coat on the beach there was a notebook, inscribed with the name "R. Bennett, 28 Lombard street, North Adelaide." The book con-tained entries of newspaper sales. There was 8/9 in the bag. Shark At Semaphore Shortly after 11 a.m. yesterday, swimmers at Semaphore were warned by a siren from the end of the jetty to leave the water, because of the ap-pearance of a shark. A 12-foot shark was later seen in the vicinity of the jetty. After swimming around for about a quarter of an hour, it dis-appeared in the direction of Henley Beach. There have been several shark scares recently at Henley and Grange, and a shark was reported to have been seen from the Henley jetty during the last week-end. There are two other boys and a girl in the Bennett family, which has had a series of misfortunes. In addition to the serious illness of the father, Mr. George Bennett, who is a storeman, one of the younger children is being treated for diabetes. Few Shark Tragedies Here The Adelaide beaches have been re-markably free from shark tragedies, although each summer sharks are seen from time to time from the various jetties. Ten years ago a woman was fatally mauled by a shark while bath-ing at Brighton. On January 14, 1884, the only daughter (aged 16) of Captain B. Warren fell from the deckhouse of the ship Beltona, outside the eastern shoal of Port Pirie, and was at once seized and dragged down by two sharks.