Plea for divers, boaties and swimmers to stay safe as drowning toll rises

Wednesday, 28 December 2022

Police have made an impassioned plea for Kiwis to stay safe in and around the water – including avoiding alcohol.

Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei.

“Alcohol and water don’t mix and can have fatal consequences,” is the message.

The plea comes as New Zealand edges towards the worst drowning record in a decade.

There have been 89 preventable drowning deaths so far in 2022, just one short of 2021’s 90 drownings, which was the worst in a decade.

**READ MORE:

* Dad who drowned on Christmas Day was canoeing with daughter, who wore a life jacket and called out for help

* New Zealand edging towards worst drowning record in a decade

* Three people die in water incidents within five hours as holiday season starts

**

There have been four drownings so far during the official festive holiday period, which finishes at 6am on Wednesday, January 4.

They are father of three Varun Chand, who drowned on Christmas Day after his canoe capsized on a Christchurch lake. He was not wearing a life jacket but his 7-year-old daughter was and survived the capsize.

Waihau Bay resident Jim Kemp, who was pulled from the water at Cape Runaway, Ōpōtiki, drowned at about 7pm on Boxing Day.

Also included is a person pulled from the water in Auckland’s Pukekohe at about 9.30pm on Boxing Day and a man who drowned in a late-night swim in the Hutt River in Kaitoke Regional Park, at about 12.15am on Tuesday.

Waikato West acting area commander Joe Polaschek​ said people need to have a change in mindset over the risks of the water.

“In summer, it gets nice and hot and we flock to the beaches or rivers, and it’s a great place for us to go and cool down, but there is a risk there and we need to be conscious of that risk.”

Mixing alcohol and water is a high risk, he said.

People also need to swim between the flags, where lifeguards are often volunteering to keep people safe, Polaschek said.

While boating, wearing a life jacket should be as automatic as it is to put on a seat belt in a car, he said.

“You put it on, not because you think something bad will happen, but just in case it does.”

The Water Safety Code – Ture Haumaru Wai – has four simple rules for keeping safe:

1. Be prepared: Learn to swim and survive, set rules for safe play in the water, always use safe and correct equipment and know the weather and water conditions before you get in.

2. Watch out for yourself and others: Always pay close attention to children you are supervising in or near water and swim with others and in areas where lifeguards are present.

3. Be aware of the dangers: Enter shallow and unknown water feet first and obey all safety signs and warning flags, plus do not enter the water after drinking alcohol.

4. Know your limits: Challenge yourself within your physical limits and experience and learn safe ways of rescuing others without putting yourself in danger.

The Boating Safety Code – Ture Haumaru Poti – has five rules:

1. Life jackets: Take them – wear them, they greatly increase your chance of survival in the water.

2. Communications: Take two separate waterproof ways of communicating so you can get help if you get into difficulty.

3. Marine weather: New Zealand’s weather can be highly unpredictable – check the local marine weather forecast before you go and expect changes.

4. Avoid alcohol: Safe boating and alcohol do not mix.

5. Skipper responsibility: The skipper is responsible for the safety of everyone on board and the safe operation of the boat – stay within the limits of your vessel and your experience.