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.
[4] In 2004 three Perth sea rescue groups, Fremantle included, had issues over insurance cover provided by the government authority Fire and Emergency Services.
[6][7] In November 2016 FSR moved into the vacant signal station on top of Cantonment Hill giving them views across Gage Roads to the popular holiday destination of Rottnest Island.
FSR receives on average 33,000 calls per year, which results in them rescuing between 600 and 700 vessels.