Salmon Holes rescue: Emergency services suspend search for person in the water due to bad light

The search for a fisher who slipped off rocks at notorious Salmon Holes near Albany has been called off because of bad light.

Emergency services have been combing the area since if was reported that a person had slipped off the rocks on Friday afternoon.

Esmatullah Akbari, who was on holiday in the Great Southern from Perth with his family, said he saw someone who was fishing slip off the rocks about 1.35pm.

Crews from Albany SES, Albany Career Fire and Rescue Service, Albany Fire and Rescue volunteers and St John WA responded to the search.

Salmon Holes is a popular fishing spot 10km south of Albany.

It is known to be dangerous, with a 29-year-old woman swept out to sea while fishing in March 2024. She was rescued by a bystander.

Experienced fisherman Paul Smetham, of Little Grove, said it was time the rocks were made off limits during the Easter holidays.

“People should not be allowed on the rocks during the Easter break,” he said.

“It doesn’t take much of a wave to sweep you off your feet.

“They shouldn’t be called the Salmon Holes, they should be called the drowning holes. That might put people off coming there.

“Even if people have lifejackets, it’s not enough. They give you a false sense of security and a lot of visitors have no experience of them.

“There is a major rip and the rocks have razor sharp barnacles and shells.”

Emergency services have been called to Torndirrup National Park twice over the Easter long weekend, with a female hiker falling down a ravine at Stony Hill on Monday.