Word: sharked
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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From the first days of seafaring man, the shark has been dreaded as a killer. The dread was based more on hearsay than actual experience. Few men had ever been attacked by them; fewer still lived to tell the tale. Advice on what to do in the presence of a lurking shark was flatly contradictory: one school held that the swimmer should hold still and keep quiet; the other said churn wildly and shout. During World War II thousands of seamen and downed airmen came within reach of the shark's sinister jaws. With air traffic over open water...
...Myths & New Facts. The survivors' testimony dispelled some old myths and produced some curious new facts. A shark is not shy. It does not have to turn on its back to attack. It does not attempt to swallow a man whole, but nips out steak-sized chunks. For some reason, perhaps the sharpness of the teeth, a victim scarcely feels the bite. A naval officer who spent twelve hours in the waters off Guadalcanal remembered feeling "a scratching, tickling sensation" in his left foot. "Slightly startled, I held it up. It was gushing blood. I peered into the water...
Even on life rafts, castaways were not wholly safe. Sharks sometimes bumped against the raft's frail bottom, knocking the occupants three or four inches into the air. Wrote one survivor: "Late in the afternoon, a shark about four feet long struck at the raft and, going right over my shoulder, slid into the raft. It took a bite out of C. One of the men and myself caught the shark by the tail and pulled him out of the raft. C. became delirious and died about four hours later...
Useful Hints. The report is not enthusiastic about the shark repellents that are included in airmen's survival outfits...
Sometimes they were effective, sometimes not. It warns airmen who carry "shark knives" not to expect much from them. Large sharks are almost invulnerable to such weapons...