The cost of those who survive drowning

Saturday, 19 November 2016

Mum Gemma and daughter Olivia Miles, at the SwimMagic swim school at CLM The Bays in St Johns, Auckland, speak about the importance of water safety after Olivia nearly drowned.

Non-fatal drownings have cost taxpayers an estimated $300 million in the past decade, showing the hidden side to Kiwis' love of the water.

New Zealand's horror drowning statistics hog the headlines over the summer months, and authorities try to reinforce safety messages to boaties and swimmers.

Water Safety New Zealand has released figures showing 680 people have been hospitalised since 2005 suffering non-fatal drownings.

WaterSafe chief executive Jonathan Webber.

In 2015 alone, 188 people were hospitalised for nearly drowning, according to Water Safety New Zealand figures.

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In 2015 alone, New Zealand waterways claimed 86 lives and while 188 people suffered non fatal drownings.

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Gemma Miles and daughter Olivia, 4, are all smiles after swim lessons helped save the child.

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A PriceWaterhouse report found every serious water-related injury cost $340,000, which when adjusted for inflation, would have cost the country around $293m in the past ten years, said each fatal drowning cost $3.4m.

'Swimming lessons are the best!' Olivia Miles says.

Since 2009, 539 people have drowned, costing an estimated $1.9 billion.

WaterSafe Auckland said chief executive Jonathon Webber said many water mishaps go under or unreported and focussing on these mishaps would 'inflate' classifiable non-fatal drownings.

For an incident to qualify as a non-fatal drowning the victim must be admitted to hospital for at least 24 hours. Webber said.

'[The official figure] it's an alarming number, the tip of the iceberg, of course there are home incidents involving pools or the bath, wherever there's water.'

Some people brush-off non-fatal drownings, victims should at least be checked over by a doctor as the after-effects can be serious, Webber, a lifesaver who is an honorary University of Auckland medical school lecturer said.

Drowning survivors can be pulled from the water only to walk away once revived, Webber who is also a drowning resuscitation researcher said.

Sometimes ambulance and helicopter crews responding to non-fatal drowning chose not to transport victims to hospital and 'treat and release'.

While others are taken to hospital and kept under observation before being discharged, Webber said.

'In real simple terms [inhaled water] interferes with the gas exchange [in lungs]'.

While most drowning survivors fully recover and 'go about their everyday lives', some survivors suffer mild to severe health effects, Webber said.

Water aspiration can cause lung infections and breathing difficulties while some will suffer brain damage.

'There will be a percentage of patients admitted to intensive care [who will] have some physical or mental disability through to very severe brain damage, a patient may end up in a vegetative state on life support'.

KEEPING KIDS SAFE AROUND WATER THIS SUMMER

Amidst the country's sobering drowning figures, in 2015, six under fives drowned and more than 20 suffered non fatal drownings, Water Safety New Zealand figures show.

Three of the under five drownings were preventable, the organisation said.

So Water Safety New Zealand has partnered with Plunket and Huggies to educate parents and caregivers on what safe supervision should be for kids around water.

Its chief executive, Jonty Mills, said drownings were a 'tragedy'.

'The impact when a child dies or is hospitalised from drowning are immense. Preventable fatalities can leave families with permanent emotional scars, and hospitalisations can leave children with damage so severe they need life-long care.

One child who dies or is hospitalised from drowning is one child too many.'

His organisation is 'reaching out' to water parks and swim schools with a new checklist developed with Plunket outlining what supervision entails.

Go to plunket.org.nz, keywords 'Keep kids safe around water this summer' to view the checklist.

LESSONS PAY OFF

Four-year-old Olivia Miles, mum Gemma and dad Chris all agree water confidence lessons helped Olivia - or 'Ollie' - beat a water scare.

Adventurous Ollie had been pestering dad Chris to go out on a small sailing dinghy when a gust of wind tipped the boat spilling the frightened but water wise girl overboard.

'I fell into the water, held my breath and shut my eyes, I kicked, I didn't want to get bitten by a shark!' Ollie said.

Grateful mum Gemma said: 'I know that if Ollie hadn't had lessons she would be petrified of the water and would not go back again.'

Ollie gave the thumbs-up: 'Swimming lessons are the best!'