Salmon Holes exercise to improve safety

An operation will be carried out at Salmon Holes this weekend in an effort to improve emergency response to incidents similar to the drowning death of a teenage tourist earlier this year.

Great Southern Police Superintendent Dene Leekong said the exercise would engage all emergency agencies in Albany.

“We are even getting police divers down from Perth who will simulate being stuck in the water off the rocks,” Supt Leekong said.

“Everybody involved will be required to wear personal flotation devices while the exercise is being conducted.

“We want to spread the message that to help themselves, people accessing the rocks to go fishing or for other activities need to wear self-inflating life jackets, need to be there with someone else, need to notify friends and family that they are going there.”

Albany Sea Rescue Squad president Jason Howard said a key issue would be to test communication between different emergency agencies.

“We’re training to do the inter-operability of the different combat agencies, Albany Surf Lifesaving, State Emergency Services, police and us,” Mr Howard said.

“Communication needs to be improved between agencies, as well as telecommunication for the general public so instead of running from the rocks to the car park to call for help they can do that directly from the rocks which would save another 10 to 15 minutes.

“That’s being tested on the weekend as well.”

The tragedy in April sparked a Statewide Department of Environment and Conservation rock fishing safety review, which was released last month.

The review left open the possibility of closing Salmon Holes to the public.

Supt Leekong said the exercise would last about two-and-a-half hours.