Devastated WA mum renews calls for rock fishers to wear mandatory life jackets

The mother of a young woman swept into the ocean on Western Australia’s south coast says it is time the state introduced mandatory life jackets for rock fishers.

Rachel McCloy’s only daughter Victoria, known as Tori, 22, was fishing on a rock near Bald Head with her fiance Geoffrey Bignell, 20, on November 22, 2019.

Police believe both were hit by a king wave and swept into the Southern Ocean or one was washed into the ocean and the other jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue their partner.

Mr Bignell’s body was found a few days later but no trace of Tori has ever been found.

“It is believed they were rock fishing, going after the ‘big one’ that had broken Geoff’s new rod the week before,” Ms McCloy, from Northam, said.