9.5 Shark Sightings and Incidents

Purpose

To provide operational guidance for responding to shark sightings and shark related incidents to reduce risks to members and the public.

Overview

Shark sightings and shark related incidents require rapid risk assessment, public warning, patrol area management, and coordination with the State Operations Centre (SOC) and supporting assets.

This SOP applies to shark sightings, shark incidents, shark bites, and shark related patrol area evacuations.

Procedure

This procedure applies to shark sightings by member of public, lifesaving service and the State Fixed Wing Aircraft.

Sighting or evacuation siren sounded within 500m of a patrolled/flagged area

• Activate the Emergency Evacuation Alarm (continuous tone from either Fixed Shark Siren or handheld Loudhailer / Megaphone) and raise the red and white quartered flag.
• Inform everyone that the water is being evacuated due to a shark sighting and strongly recommend they leave the water.
• Lower the red and yellow patrol flags and, if available, display Shark Warning sign.
• Document the specific location targeted by the Fixed Wing’s circular path (i.e., the centre of its flight trajectory) and the time its siren commenced.
• Continually monitor all areas.
• Where safe and operationally appropriate, maintain sufficient personnel and rescue capability to support emergency response functions.
• Maintain an active presence on the beach to advise/warn public.
• Wherever possible monitor all areas from an elevated position (i.e. tower, jetty, patrol room etc.).
• Contact the State Operations Centre (SOC) to:
  • inform them of the shark sighting and status of patrolled area (i.e. closed); and
  • determine if additional State assets (WP1, JRB or RPAS) are available to search the area.

Sighting or evacuation siren sounded greater than 500m of a patrolled/flagged area or over a populated section of SLSC service area

• Contact the SOC and inform them of the shark siren and request additional information (Note: the Fixed Wing aircraft will provide shark sighting details to SAPOL which will be relayed to the SOC, which may be several minutes and is subject to Fixed Wing aircraft call times);
• Monitor the flight path of the aircraft and if it moves toward the patrolled area – and comes within 500m - while sounding its siren, commence evacuation of the beach (as detailed above).
• If the Fixed Wing is sounding over a populated section of your area of responsibility, dispatch a roving patrol to evacuate that section of the beach. Advise any swimmers that a shark has been sighted by the Fixed Wing aircraft and recommend that all persons swim between the flags.

When the Fixed Wing ceases its siren and/or departs the area

• Note the time that the siren ceased, and the aircraft departed your area.
• The patrol flags should remain lowered until:
  • There has been no sighting for a minimum of 60 minutes; and/or
  • A visual clearance has been completed from the shoreline, and the Patrol Captain / Lifeguard / Safety Emergency Management Coordinator / Referee is confident that there is no obvious risk posed by the shark to swimmers / surfers / beach-users.
• Contact the SOC and inform them when the siren ceased, when the fixed wing departed and the status of patrolled area (i.e. open).

Reference

• Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual, 35th Edition, Module 2 – Safety and Wellbeing, Actions in the event of a shark or crocodile bite
• Public Safety and Aquatic Rescue training manual, 35th Edition, Module 10 – Patrol Operations, Closing the Beach
• SLSA Marine Creatures Guidelines, 2018
• SOP 15.2 – Critical Incident Debriefing