Filmmaker reflects on ironic twist in tragedy

In an ironic twist to Monday’s Salmon Holes tragedy, Denmark filmmaker Phil Jagger was at the location shooting a short video on rock-fishing safety.

Mr Jagger, who has been contracted by WA’s peak recreational fishing body RecFishWest to make a 40-part mini-series for the organisation’s YouTube channel, captured the ordeal on camera.

Roland Fernandes, 66, of Stirling, was fishing at the notorious location with his wife and brother-in-law when he slipped into the water while trying to retrieve a fish. He drowned at the scene.

“I didn’t actually see the guy go in, but I’d just finished filming all the warning signs when I heard yelling and I thought someone had a fish and there was this guy in the water,” Mr Jagger explained.

“He struggled and struggled, had all his clothes on and was still holding his rod and gaff.

“Another guy who was fishing went in to get him, got to him and then yelled that his eyes were rolled back in his head and he had foam coming out of his mouth.”

Mr Jagger raced to the top of the stairs at the beach in an effort to raise the alarm with authorities.

Meanwhile another man who jumped in after the victim in all his clothes was being swept out to sea in a rip, forcing the original rescuer to abandon Mr Fernandes’ body and divert his rescue efforts.

“I just didn’t think anyone would go in, it was so calm,” Mr Jagger said.

“But the bottom line is a fish is not worth a life in any instance.”

RecFishWest regional policy officer Ellen Smith was in Albany last Friday, conducting a consultation with rock-fishing stakeholders including several government departments, local fishers and Albany Sea Rescue Squad.

Ms Smith said the organisation was in the process of launching a three-year project to address safety at rock fishing hotspots along the south coast.

“Our tact has always been to asses the area with local fishers and determine what the best methods at that location will be for preventing any future incidents,” she said.

“While it is a tragedy this death has occurred, we have a timeline for the rollout of the project and want to implement it in a professional manner by sticking to that timeline.”

Ms Smith said installation of rock bolts, provision of angel rings, re-establishing the Nathan Drew Memorial Trust and erecting multi-lingual warning signs were all under consideration as part of the project.

RecFishWest is pushing a national rock-fishing safety campaign driven by the slogan “Don’t put you life on the line”.