Samuels scrutiny throws up heroic rescue tale

By ANGELA GREGORY

Dover Samuels rammed his speargun into the eyes of a shark that was dragging his bleeding friend under the water.

The shark's mouth finally opened and released spearfisher Robert Lustard, who was rushed to hospital with gashes to his right thigh.

It was Australia on December 27, 1966, and radio stations around the country broadcast the newsflash about the New Zealander who saved his Aussie mate from the jaws of a bronze whaler.

Mr Samuels' act of heroism has been brought back to light by Northland-based dolphin expert Wade Doak. He told the Weekend Herald that since the Labour MP's past was under scrutiny, it was timely to highlight the courageous act nearly 35 years ago.

"I don't think I've ever met a politician who has rescued his friend from a shark attack and put himself in danger."

Without hesitation, Mr Samuels had put his life at risk for another. "He might have had a chequered past, but he's a fighter."

Mr Doak said Mr Samuels was a top diver and had worked as an underwater cameraman, once capturing rare footage of a school of pilot whales.

In the late 1960s, Mr Doak published in his dive magazine Mr Samuels' account of the shark attack.

Introducing the story, the magazine said Shane (Dover) Samuels had been skindiving with Mr Lustard and an "attractive Sydney underwater model, Maria Martin."

Mr Samuels described how excited he and Miss Martin had been about their planned spearfishing and photography holiday at Trial Bay, about 500km north of Sydney. He had been free-diving on the edge of a reef when he noticed a dark shape coming in from the seaward side, he wrote.

"I held my breath - a shark! It was a big shark."

Mr Samuels said the bronze whaler suddenly accelerated like a rocket.

"Before I realised what was happening I heard a terrible scream.

"I lifted my head from the water and I could see Bob's eyes bulging through his goggles as he let out terrible screams and pleas for help."

Mr Samuels swam to his friend and saw the shark's jaws clamped on to Mr Lustard's thigh.

He fired his speargun at the shark's side, as a shot at its head would have endangered Mr Lustard.

"I could see my companion was losing his strength fast. His mouth moved in convulsions with agonising pain, and the weight of the shark [was] pulling him down."

Mr Samuels said his friend did not have the energy to surface. "I rammed my empty speargun into the shark's eyes. I kept ramming and ramming."

The shark's jaws opened and blood stained the water around them. "Our lungs bursting and with heads beginning to spin, I surfaced with Bob."

Mr Samuels told the Weekend Herald that he did not think about the danger at the time.

"It was my best friend. He was losing energy."

It was not Mr Samuels' first brush with sharks.

"The sharks in the sea are more predictable than the ones on the land. At least you know what you are dealing with. It's a face-to-face attack and doesn't come from behind."