In a 10 day period between September 25 and October 5, angel rings were used in five confirmed rescues in NSW. This spate of rescues has the Angel Ring Team concerned that many anglers are not following the most basic safety rules when fishing the rocks.
As recently as a few days ago, Angel Ring Team member Tony Steiner reportedly had to persuade an angler from going fishing on the rocks without first watching the seas for at least 10 minutes. Steiner and the angler stood on top of the cliff at Coogee in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and watched the angler’s intended location become swamped by massive waves. What concerned Steiner the most was that the angler was wearing a lifejacket and rock cleats, and in essence was well prepared to fish the rocks, except for the fact that he hadn’t bothered to check the sea conditions.
The series of photos below highlights how quickly a spot can change. On the day these photos were taken a 33 year old Japanese angler was reported missing at Bluefish Point on Sydney’s North Head. Bluefish Point is only a few kilometres up the coast from Coogee. The angler was fishing alone and his fishing equipment was found on the rocks and his locked car was discovered in the carpark almost a day later.
ANSA NSW Angel Ring Coordinator Stan Konstantaras is reminding anglers to “observe first, fish later”, “never fish alone” and “if it’s too rough go home.”
Before & after – these pics were taken at the spot described above, at two different angles and taken eight minutes apart (left to right).
More info at www.angelrings.com.au
