Fishing tragedy at Punchbowl
A fisherman was swept off the rock ledge at Punchbowl on the weekend. The man in his early 20s from Endeavour Hills was fishing with five friends when he hit by a large wave at 3.25pm on Sunday afternoon.' He was washed into the water and his...
A fisherman was swept off the rock ledge at Punchbowl on the weekend. The man in his early 20s from Endeavour Hills was fishing with five friends when he hit by a large wave at 3.25pm on Sunday afternoon.' He was washed into the water and his friends were unable to get to him.
Senior Sergeant Andy O’Brien from Cowes Police said that a search and rescue operation was activated immediately, including SES, the Police rescue unit and a Pol Air helicopter.
“Unfortunately, the man wasn’t wearing a life jacket. Our crews searched until dark, when it became too dark and dangerous to continue.” The search resumed at 7am on Monday morning for the missing man. The Pol Air helicopter re-joined the search at lunchtime.
At the time of going to print, the missing man had not been found. Senior Sergeant O’Brien said despite photographic signage at the location warning of the danger from large waves, people continued to fish there without adequate safety equipment.
“The messages remain the same – never turn your back on the water, wear life jackets and be aware of the conditions,” he said. “Conditions at Punchbowl are always dangerous. I imagine it wasn’t ideal on the rocks yesterday.” He urged anyone going fishing in the area to research conditions and be properly prepared. “Stay safe and make sure you have the right safety equipment,” he advised.
The rock ledges at Punchbowl are notoriously dangerous.
In 2009, three fishermen drowned when they were swept into the ocean. Another rock fisherman drowned in 2012. A coroner’s report into a fatal incident in August 2009 found that the fisherman had failed to take adequate safety measures, stating that a life vest may have saved his life.
The report said it was essential that there was appropriate signage, particularly for people who had English as a second language. The coroner highlighted the importance of educating CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) communities and said work needed to be done to overcome difficulties and delays in communication with emergency services responding to rock fishing emergencies. The report also listed wearing a life vest for floatation device as a key safety factor.
