Saturday, June 21, 1928
Fisherman Had Close Call With Swordfish
The crew of the schooner Dagny of
Nantucket, Capt. Olaf Anderson, which put in at New Bedford yesterday
from a swordfishing trip had a thrilling story to tell of the narrow escape from death
experienced by John Anderton, one of their members, who was carried under
by a swordfish after the line fast to the fish had caught around Anderton's
legs.
Anderton was in the dory
pulling in on the line. The fish had played with the keg for some time and Anderton,
thinking it had been drowned out, as the line came so easily, was just about to take the
dead fish into the dory to row to the schooner when it suddenly came to life.
The suddenness of the fish's action so
surprised the man that he made a misstep, the line snapped around one of his legs and
when the swordfish made a dive for the bottom he took Anderton out
of the boat. Anderton, as he was being dragged from the dory, made
a clutch at the craft and by great good luck managed to get firm grip on the
gunwhale. His hold was firm, but to the horror of the watching crew on the Dagny,
the swordfish took both Anderton ad the dory beneath the
surface of the water.
In the meanwhile members of the crew made
preparations to go to his assistance. It proved to be a small fish that he was
fighting, however, and in a short time the crew was relieved to see the dory bob to the
surface. The swordfish had spent its greatest efforts and did not have the strength
to go down again. Anderton was taken into a rescuing dory, half
dead, but was soon revived. |
