Finding into death of Liangwei Wang
Deceased
LIANGWEI WANG
Demographics
43y, male
Date of death
2009-12-30
Finding date
2011-04-20
Cause of death
Drowning
AI-generated summary
Liangwei Wang, a 43-year-old Chinese national, drowned after being swept from rocks while rock fishing at Potters Hill Road, San Remo in December 2009. He was washed off by an unexpectedly large wave and made unsuccessful attempts to grasp rescue rods extended by nearby fishers before being swept away. The coroner found the death entirely preventable, identifying critical failures: absence of warning signage at the location, no personal floatation device (PFD) worn, and language/cultural barriers affecting emergency response. The coroner emphasised that Mr Wang, despite claiming expertise, lacked wave awareness and risk assessment skills typical of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities over-represented in rock fishing fatalities. Key preventive measures identified include mandatory PFD use, multilingual warning signage, emergency communication systems with location identification for regional sites, targeted education for CALD communities, and safety equipment like angel rings at high-risk locations.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Absence of warning signage at rock fishing location
- No personal floatation device worn
- Language barriers affecting emergency communication
- Lack of wave sense and risk assessment awareness
- Delayed emergency response due to location identification difficulties
- Culturally and linguistically diverse population over-represented in rock fishing fatalities
- Inadequate knowledge of ocean and swell conditions
Coroner's recommendations
- Adopt the Safety Management Plan for Rock Fishing involving Parks Victoria, Fisheries Victoria, Life Saving Victoria, VRFish, Australian National Sportfishing Association Limited, and Bass Coast Shire Council
- Implement prominent messaging promoting the wearing of personal floatation devices (PFDs) during rock fishing in all stakeholder communications, images and education activities
- Explore ways to increase PFD uptake including rock fishing seminars, reduced-cost availability through retailers, and rental options at locations proximate to known rock-fishing sites
- Undertake substantial CALD community engagement program through Life Saving Victoria in collaboration with peak fishing bodies using educational programs, demonstrations, cultural ambassadors, and culturally-specific media
- Implement Emergency Services Telecommunication Authority (ESTA) Emergency Markers program at coastal rock fishing sites to enable precise location identification for emergency services
- Supersede current beach numbering systems with state-wide ESTA Emergency Markers approach
- Implement remote emergency alarm and camera systems at high-risk rock fishing locations (Punchbowl and Potters Hill Road) as a pilot trial with evaluation for future expansion
- Place appropriate signage at rock fishing locations reflecting new Australian/New Zealand Standards for water safety signs, with symbol-based design to overcome language barriers for CALD communities
- Continue placement of angel rings at known rock fishing locations in conjunction with PFD safety messaging
- Increase public awareness of Emergency Markers program through ESTA campaigns, including targeted campaigns for CALD communities and international visitors
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