PerthStorm

SES volunteer dies in training exercise

A "passionate and proud" State Emergency Service (SES) volunteer has died after going missing during a training exercise on the Murray River.
The body of Mildura man Ronald Hopkins was found about 10am (AEST) on Sunday, 17 hours after he went missing during a boat exercise in Victoria's north-west.
Mr Hopkins' death comes one week after he joined SES colleagues in the search for two fishermen whose bodies were found near the river town.
On Saturday, his unit was forced to turn their training exercise into a real life emergency hunt as the Murray River claimed another victim.
SES volunteers on Sunday remembered Mr Hopkins as a good mate and a dedicated member of the Mildura unit for the past seven years.
"He was a very proud and passionate member of the local SES unit," SES media spokesman Allan Briggs said.
"It's certainly taken its toll on the unit ... (Mr Hopkins was) not only a colleague in volunteering but also a bloody good mate."
Mr Hopkins, 54, sparked a rescue operation about 5pm (AEST) Saturday when he went missing near the George Chaffey bridge at Mildura.
NSW police and SES volunteers from Victoria and NSW searched the Murray until 10pm, and the operation resumed with NSW police divers at first light on Sunday morning.
Mr Hopkins' wife and children had been maintaining a vigil at the search scene and were present when his body was found, Mr Briggs said.
Many of the volunteers involved in the operation were "quite shaken up" to have been searching for one of their own, he said.
Mr Briggs said Victoria SES would review its training procedure following the tragedy.
"The NSW police will be preparing the report on behalf of the state coroner and Victoria SES will be reviewing our training procedure in that area," he said.
"In an instance like this, it's only appropriate we conduct an internal review."
A post-mortem examination will be conducted.