Just 12 hours after a fisherman died, swept off rocks at Port Kembla, a dozen brazen anglers were yesterday braving a big swell and pounding waves in the same area near Hill 60.The Australian National Sportfishing Association (ANSA) criticised inexperienced, ill-prepared rock fishermen taking risks in such conditions. Port Kembla is the fifth most deadly rock fishing location in Australia. The latest tragedy, at Honeycomb Rocks, came just two weeks after police used angel rings to rescue a fisherman in the same area and 13 months after a 71-year-old Strathfield man drowned nearby at night.
GALLERY: Fishers at Port Kembla VOTE IN POLL: Should rock fishing be banned in dangerous locations?A 43-year-old Yagoona man, believed to be of Indonesian background, was swept into the water about 8.30pm on Sunday. He was winched out of the rough surf by the ambulance rescue helicopter, after two police went to his aid with angel rings. Police performed CPR, but he died at the scene.ANSA national safety officer Stan Konstantaras said nobody should have been fishing from the exposed rock platform in the rough conditions on Sunday night."The message we are always pushing, especially ... at night, is to wear a life jacket," Mr Konstantaras said."I praise the police for jumping in, but they should not have been placed in that situation because of a couple of anglers going out in dangerous conditions. "There were other sheltered locations where they could have fished."Mr Konstantaras said education and advertising were being targeted at inexperienced anglers from non-English speaking backgrounds in western Sydney and with multi-lingual information online at www.safefishing.com.au."What is alarming is that we can't get assistance from the NSW Government."We are shouldering all the responsibility as volunteers," he said. "We installed two more glow-in-the-dark angel rings at Hill 60 two weeks ago and there are now six life rings."Yesterday, just four of the six rings were left on Honeycomb Rocks, while two - likely those used in Sunday's attempted rescue - were missing. Empty cans, tangled fishing line and rubbish littered the rocks, where plaques paid tribute to other drowned anglers. Those fishing off rock ledges near the sewage treatment works yesterday were either unaware, or undeterred, by the drowning.Lake Illawarra police acting inspector John Klepczarek said rock fishermen needed to weigh up the dangers against the potentially good catch.Inexperienced rock fishermen took the sea and the conditions for granted, he said.He reiterated the need for fishermen to wear life jackets, carry torches, tell others their location and familiarise themselves with the angel rings.
