One warm May day, two eighteen year old students from San Francisco State College decided to cool off with a swim at Bakers' Beach.
One
warm
May
day
,
two
eighteen
year
old
students
from
San
Francisco
State
College
decided
to
cool
off
with
a
swim
at
Bakers
'
Beach
.
The two students were named Robert Kogler and Shirley O'Neill.
The
two
students
were
named
Robert
Kogler
and
Shirley
O'Neill
.
They headed out to sea for a distance of 50 metres.
They
headed
out
to
sea
for
a
distance
of
50
metres
.
Robert was in front.
Robert
was
in
front
.
"Suddenly, I heard him scream," Shirley recalls.
``
Suddenly
,
I
heard
him
scream
,
''
Shirley
recalls
.
"I looked round and saw this great grey thing going up in the air.
``
I
looked
round
and
saw
this
great
grey
thing
going
up
in
the
air
.
The water seemed to be alive."
The
water
seemed
to
be
alive
.
''
Robert screamed again.
Robert
screamed
again
.
"It's a shark!
``
It
's
a
shark
!
Get out of here!"
Get
out
of
here
!
''
An eye witness, Army Sergeant Leo P. Day was on guard at the nearby army post.
An
eye
witness
,
Army
Sergeant
Leo
P.
Day
was
on
guard
at
the
nearby
army
post
.
He saw exactly what happened next.
He
saw
exactly
what
happened
next
.
"I could see this boy struggling with the shark in the water," he said.
``
I
could
see
this
boy
struggling
with
the
shark
in
the
water
,
''
he
said
.
"The sea was red with blood.
``
The
sea
was
red
with
blood
.
He was shouting and signalling someone to go back, go back.
He
was
shouting
and
signalling
someone
to
go
back
,
go
back
.
Then I saw the girl.
Then
I
saw
the
girl
.
She was swimming towards him.
She
was
swimming
towards
him
.
She completely ignored his warning."
She
completely
ignored
his
warning
.
''
Shirley reached Robert, and tried to take his hand.
Shirley
reached
Robert
,
and
tried
to
take
his
hand
.
"When I pulled, all I could see was his arm, handing by a thread," she said.
``
When
I
pulled
,
all
I
could
see
was
his
arm
,
handing
by
a
thread
,
''
she
said
.
So she put her arm about Robert's back, and started to swim towards the shore.
So
she
put
her
arm
about
Robert
's
back
,
and
started
to
swim
towards
the
shore
.
She kept praying "Don't' let it attack again!"
She
kept
praying
``
Do
n't
'
let
it
attack
again
!
''
That journey to the shore seemed to last for hours.
That
journey
to
the
shore
seemed
to
last
for
hours
.
At last, as they neared the shore, a fisherman threw them a line, and pulled them both the rest of the way.
At
last
,
as
they
neared
the
shore
,
a
fisherman
threw
them
a
line
,
and
pulled
them
both
the
rest
of
the
way
.
The young man had lost a lot of blood, and died two and a half hours later, From the teeth marks, experts identified the attacker as a Great White Shark.
The
young
man
had
lost
a
lot
of
blood
,
and
died
two
and
a
half
hours
later
,
From
the
teeth
marks
,
experts
identified
the
attacker
as
a
Great
White
Shark
.
For what Sergeant Day called "the greatest exhibition of bravery I have ever seen," the President of the US gave Shirley a medal for bravery.
For
what
Sergeant
Day
called
``
the
greatest
exhibition
of
bravery
I
have
ever
seen
,
''
the
President
of
the
US
gave
Shirley
a
medal
for
bravery
.
One warm May day, two eighteen year old students from San Francisco State College decided to cool off with a swim at Bakers' Beach. The two students were named Robert Kogler and Shirley O'Neill. They headed out to sea for a distance of 50 metres. Robert was in front.  "Suddenly, I heard him scream," Shirley recalls. "I looked round and saw this great grey thing going up in the air. The water seemed to be alive." Robert screamed again. "It's a shark! Get out of here!"  An eye witness, Army Sergeant Leo P. Day was on guard at the nearby army post. He saw exactly what happened next. "I could see this boy struggling with the shark in the water," he said. "The sea was red with blood. He was shouting and signalling someone to go back, go back. Then I saw the girl. She was swimming towards him. She completely ignored his warning." Shirley reached Robert, and tried to take his hand. "When I pulled, all I could see was his arm, handing by a thread," she said. So she put her arm about Robert's back, and started to swim towards the shore. She kept praying "Don't' let it attack again!" That journey to the shore seemed to last for hours. At last, as they neared the shore, a fisherman threw them a line, and pulled them both the rest of the way. The young man had lost a lot of blood, and died two and a half hours later, From the teeth marks, experts identified the attacker as a Great White Shark. For what Sergeant Day called "the greatest exhibition of bravery I have ever seen," the President of the US gave Shirley a medal for bravery.