Desperate Fight For Life In A Seine

Tangled in a big fishing seine after the capsizing of their boat one mile from shore, Charles Beck and his son, George Beck, two Evanston men, struggled for their lives for two hours in Lake Michigan a few days ago. Not until the imperiled men had cut the net, which was 300 feet long, in two were they able to extricate themselves. Then, thoroughly exhausted with their efforts to keep afloat while they were escaping from the death trap, they battled again with the waves and, by aiding one another, swam to the beach in safety.

The Becks had gone out early in the morning to take in the seine, which they had set off Grosse Point lighthouse. They were engaged in hauling in the netful of fish when a squall arose. Their boat, a flat bottomed scow, swung into the trough of the sea and filled with water. While they were bailing out the water with their hats the scow capsized, throwing both its occupants into the lake. Immediately the arms and legs of the men became entangled in the seine and rendered them powerless to swim.

Divesting themselves of their rubber coats and boots, the father and son, with a fishing knife, began cutting the cords from their hands and ankles. When once they had cut themselves loose and started to swim toward the shore, they again became entangled in the big net. The son's strength began to give out after a half hour's struggle, and the double burden of helping the boy to keep afloat and freeing both himself and his son from the impending meshes fell to the father.

The latter's endurance had nearly given out when he succeeded in separating the last strands of the seine. Both fishermen were so prostrated when they reached shore that they had to be assisted to their home.