The Fremantle Volunteer Sea Rescue Group Inc, or Fremantle Sea Rescue (FSR), is a volunteer lead

marine search and rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

service based in

Fremantle, Western Australia Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

. It operates continuously and responds to approximately 700 incidents a year. It is one of 39 sea rescue services recognised by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, who between them cover over of the

Western Australian coast Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

. Fremantle Sea Rescue was established in 1977. Prior to 1975 there was no formal sea rescue service operating in WA. Following an incident in 1972 when two people drowned after their boat hit a submerged object, at the insistence of East Fremantle Yacht Club, yacht clubs in the Perth area formed the Volunteer Sea Search and Rescue Association (WA) in 1975. It was from this organisation that the Fremantle Sea Rescue Service was formed. In 1999 FSR was based at

Challenger Harbour Challenger Harbour is a marina in Fremantle, Western Australia adjacent to the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour. The harbour breakwater covers the historical site of the Fremantle Long Jetty. The harbour was named after HMS ''Challenger'', wh ...

. In 2004 three Perth sea rescue groups, Fremantle included, had issues over insurance cover provided by the government authority Fire and Emergency Services. The issue deepened further in 2012 when it appeared that FSR may have had to withdraw their fleet from service. In November 2016 FSR moved into the vacant signal station on top of Cantonment Hill giving them views across

Gage Roads Gage Roads is an area in the outer harbour area of Fremantle Harbour in the Indian Ocean offshore from Fremantle, Western Australia. It incorporates a deep water sea channel as part of its function. Gage Roads serves as a shipping lane and ...

to the popular holiday destination of

Rottnest Island Rottnest Island ( nys, Wadjemup), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a island off the coast of Western Australia, located west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, Rottnest is an A-class ...

. FSR receives on average 33,000 calls per year, which results in them rescuing between 600 and 700 vessels.

References

External links

{{official website, www.searescue.com.au/ Fremantle Department of Fire and Emergency Services Sea rescue in Australia