The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-06-10
Death By Sharks Comes To
Yacht Captain Near Here
Apparently Crazed, Leaps
Into Sea To Fight Them;
Last Seen Surrounded By
School

WlLIleSS I'D OIl0 OI the gripping
tragedies of the sea--death in the
sea surrounded by merciless
sharks-was the experience of
Joseph Mann, in the 55-foot yacht
Backbone, lowed in by the
Coast Guard cutter Mojave last
night from the Gulf Stream So
miles out of this city.
Mann's skipper, Captain John
Eriksen, 49, Brooklyn, N. Y, his
mind wandering, worked himself
into fury over sharks which
were trailing the boat late Wed,
nesday night and finally leaped
overheard where all Mann's eff
forts to save him were fruitless.
Mann told The Citizen that he
began to notice his shippers
queer actions Wednesday evening
Eriksen rose from his bunk and
said to Mann, "You know, / think
I've got the DTS. l keep hear
ing women talking to me-. As
sured by Mann that there were
none around, Eriksen rushed from
the front cockpit to the rear cabin
searching for them. Then he
came to Mann with the back of
his log book written all over with
messages to his wife.
The captain then took the wheel
and Mann said that he began to
get ''madder and madden" at the
sharks, large school of which
continued to swim with the boat.
One motor of the twinscrew
yacht, which was being delivered
to Diego Trinidad, wealthy sugar
cane plantation owner, from New
York brokers, was disabled on
the way from Miami to Key West.
Eriksen jerked thesyacht first one
sway and then the other Iunging
at the sharks, and finally the
steering cable, which was tenn
porarily patched. broke. Aban-
doning the controls, Eriksen then
steered the boat by working the
clutch. He continued his tactics
until he broke the clutch in the
remaining motor. In a fury, he
then seized pole and went for
ward and began striking the
sharks. Calling to Mann, who
shouted back that he was busy
repairing the cable, he then lung
eel back and put the pole through
the cockpit side window. Then
he ran back to the stern. This
was at 1880 p. m.
Hearing a loud splash, Mann
rushed aft and saw his skipper
swimming toward the sharks.
Mann threw him a rope, which
he refused to take, then life
preserver. which he did not take.
The skipper began to swim away
in the dark Rushing to the cock
pit roof Mann switched the
searchlight on the black waters.
The yacht was rolling well oveE
on its side in the Stream. Finally
he found the skipper.
There in the spotlight beam
for a brief moment he saw
him. surrounded by a school
of sharks. II was a horrible
sight. The boat rolled again
and try as he might he could
moi again sight Eriksen. All
he saw was the life preserv-
er floating around on the
black wafer.
Mann then tried to launch the
lifeboat, but il was too much for
one man and he was forced to
abandon the idea. The only al
tentative was to jump overheard
and that was out Of the question
with the sharks around.
AT | a. M. Mann saw a light far
in the distance. Blinking his
searchlight hopefully, but no,
very confidently. he saw the
freighted CasteIla. bound for
Philadelphia. come toward him
He was contacted at 2.30 a. m
The Caxtella wired the Coast
Guard base at Miami and stood
by until the rescue was effec.
tive at $50 yesterday morning
The ~Bxkbone" reached Kcy
West al 4 p nj. yesterday and
waS tied up az . Naval Station
pier. Mann said that he believed
It would remain there to be re,
paired ard eventually delivered
in Havana.
Apparently wrought up BY tbs
nerve-wracking sight. and woTT
from Lack OF sleep for three nigntl
before the incident, Mann wa
still very shaken Up yesterday. =
guess we're al Ike that--whcn j
comes 70 seeing man IN the sea
with sharks around, be said.