IN an average year in America, 47 people are killed by lightening strikes,

compared to 0.4 by sharks.

However, the following examples are an indication of how the species has got such a bad press. Some of the reports are not for the squeamish.

The book and film, Jaws, by Peter Benchley, are loosely based on a true series of events. In New jersey in 1916, the community of Spring lake was shocked by a horrifying series of events. It began on July 1 when a 25-year-old man swimming near the shore was bitten and later died. Five days later another man was attacked in similar circumstances and died on the beach. Surprisingly, panic did not ensue and people refused to keep out of the water, while the Mayor organised for a special boat to patrol the area, dragging a piece of meat to attract the shark so it could be shot! Six days later a retired naval officer saw a large shadow in the water swimming upstream into a popular creek for bathers. He rang the police and pleaded with them to stop people swimming. They thought he was imagining things. Soon after a 12-year-old boy was attacked in the creek. A passer-by, unaware that it was a shark attack, swam in to help and recovered the boy's body. He was then also attacked and later died in hospital. Now the town went crazy, people began dynamiting the creek and boats full of people with guns patrolled the waters. Unfortunately, the lure of the water is irresistible to some and a 14-year-old boy took a cooling dip. Told to leave the creek in no uncertain times he was climbing a ladder out of the water when the shark bit his leg. He survived. It is believed a Bull shark was responsible.

In 1947 a Pan American crashed into the ocean 1,600km from Hawaii. All 44 people on-board survived the crash but 19 of them were killed by sharks before they were rescued.

In the Second World War the USS Indianapolis was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Of its crew of 1,200, 900 men escaped to the water. After a day and night the shark attacks began. Five days later when rescue came, only 315 men left the water. Many had been taken by sharks, others succumbed to drowning, lack of water and their injuries. Earlier in the war the Nova Scotia was sunk off the coast of Africa. Most of the 900 men on-board made it into the water. Three days later only 192 were still alive. Rescuers discovered many men apparently asleep, floating in their lifejackets, when in reality their lower bodies were missing.

In Australia, one of the best known shark victims is Rodney Fox. In 1963, Rodney was in a spearfishing contest in South Australia. He swam down to spear a fish but felt something was wrong straight away but before he could react he was hit by a large Great White shark. His

speargun was dropped. He tried to wriggle free but he was firmly clamped in the jaws of the creature. He remembered advice he had heard and tried to punch the shark in the eye as it was the only soft area that a human could do damage. He tried it but missed - his arm went into the sharks mouth. Finally he was able to get free and get to the surface but the shark followed under him. Rodney then wrapped his legs around the body of the shark to prevent being bitten again. The shark went down taking Rodney with him. They scrapped along the bottom rocks. He let go and surfaced again. The shark surfaced next to him and then disappeared. He was quickly rescued by a boat. His injuries were horrific. He had 462 stitches. His wetsuit is credited with holding him together. One lung was punctured. His ribs were exposed and bone was showing along his right hand and arm. The shark was estimated to be about nine foot long. Unbelievable as it sounds, he soon gave up his job as an insurance salesman and became an abalone diver right in Great White territory.