Hero's Tribute For Shark Victim Mate
Sun Herald
Sunday November 12, 2000
A MAN who was hurt trying to save his friend from a shark attack was one of the principal mourners at the funeral yesterday.
About 600 mourners were at St Hilda's girls' school chapel in the Perth suburb of Mosman Park to farewell Ken Crew.
Mr Crew, 49, died in the attack at Perth's Cottesloe Beach on Monday.
His friend Dirk Avery suffered deep cuts to his feet when he tried to fend off the shark.
He and Mr Crew's widow, Robin, and children Rebecca, 22, Andrew, 17 and Aimee, 14, heard the dead man described as a devoted family man who loved swimming.
At the service in a wheelchair was Mr Crew's ailing father, Cyril, on temporary release from hospital.
The moving ceremony celebrated Mr Crew's life. Hymns were interspersed with some of his favourite songs and eulogies from his children.
Rebecca said her father was a wonderful dad who would do anything for his children.
``Dad loved his family and his happiest times were when we were all together singing country and western songs," she said.
She said on the day her father died he was doing what he loved. ``He had finished his swim and was waiting for the best waves to surf in on."
Mr Avery, in a wheelchair with heavily bandaged feet, said he and Mr Crew had been inaugural members of the Pod, a group of mainly middle-aged swimmers who met daily at North Cottesloe Beach for an early morning swim.
``Swimming there will never be the same for me without `Slack Jack'," Mr Avery said.
Close friend Lee Tate said Mr Crew began competitive swimming at the age of eight and won a gold medal in butterfly for Western Australia.
Mr Crew died just 10 days short of his 50th birthday.
``Next Thursday we would have been celebrating your 50th birthday, Ken. Well I say let's do it now," Mr Tate said as the Beach Boys' song Wouldn't It Be Nice was played.
Mr Crew was cremated at Karrakatta cemetery.
© 2000 Sun Herald
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