A fisherman who died after he slipped or was swept off rocks into treacherous seas in Western Australia's south wasn't wearing a life jacket or tethered to an anchor point.
Samuel Peter Roth, 30, was fishing near West Cape Howe at a location known as "The Deep", 30km west of Albany, on Monday afternoon when he was either swept by waves into the choppy waters or slipped on wet rocks.
According to witnesses, the tragedy unfolded after the man walked down to the waterline to land a large fish, police Superintendent Dominic Wood said.
The man, a local resident, had not used a rope to tether himself to the shore, despite anchor points being available nearby, and was fishing alone.
Supt Wood said witnesses tried to throw a floating device to the man but conditions were windy and there were strong sea surges.
"These things happen so fast," he told reporters.
"It would be extremely distressing for people witnessing this incident. They've done everything they can.
"If you can't get a rescue buoy to somebody within seconds it can be tragic, as it was."
The death comes one week after the deputy state coroner handed down findings into the drowning deaths of three men in two separate rock fishing accidents at Salmon Holes, a notoriously dangerous beach in the same region.
Supt Wood said many fishers who have died in the region were tourists who weren't aware of the treacherous conditions.
