A tourist's visit to one of Western Australia's most Instagrammed coastal spots ended in tragedy on Monday. Police say a man in his 20s from Southeast Asia was climbing on rocks at Injidup Natural Spa, near Yallingup, when he was swept into the water just after midday, caught in a rip, and dragged out to sea, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reports. Efforts to get flotation devices to him failed, and his body was later recovered by jet ski. "He wasn't a strong swimmer, if a swimmer at all, and members of public did get the angel rings, but didn't end up throwing them in, because I think he was too far out by then," police spokesman Jon Adams tells the South Western Times.
The natural spa rock pool, about 155 miles south of Perth, already had warning signs about rock and surf dangers. People often stand on the rocks to get photos of the ocean. This is at least the third death at the site over the last 10 years, 9News reports. A 23-year-old woman died after being swept off rocks in 2020 and a 25-year-old man vanished in 2016 after jumping off rocks into the water.
Acting South West Superintendent Andy Elliott urged both tourists and locals to heed ocean warnings and respect "the power and unpredictable nature of the ocean." Locals say signs aren't enough. Yallingup resident Laurie Schlueter, who has long pushed for better safety measures, wants stronger rescue equipment at popular beaches, including flotation gear that bystanders can use in an emergency to swim out to someone who is in trouble. "Let's get on with this, let's not have three more people drown while we sort this out," he says.
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