Lifeguards are warning the public to take extra care at the beach over the coming days, as Cyclone Cody hits our shores.
MetService says the now tropical cyclone is forecast to bring dangerously large waves to many parts of the North Island from Friday onwards.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand is preparing for four metre swells along the East Coast.
“We’re beefing up our patrols as much as possible,” says Search and Rescue Manager Allan Mundy. “All our callout squads are on standby.”
It comes as the number of fatal drownings in New Zealand waters continues to climb.
Two water related deaths on Wednesday, including that of a child after an incident at a Papatoetoe address, bring the total to 15 this year.
“We’re well over, well nearly three times what January normally looks like," says Daniel Gerrard from Water Safety New Zealand. “It’s just absolute tragedies.”
Fatal drownings have been recorded at beaches, rivers, lakes and pools this year, with victims ranging from four-years-old to 74.
“I wonder about the inactivity that was generated during lockdown,” says Gerard. “Children missing out on term four, learn to swim and survive, and water safety sessions that they usually have.”
Philippa Briggs, who works at Dash Swim School in Porirua says enrolments dropped off at the end of last year because of Covid.
“It’s been a bit rough, so with the restrictions obviously we’ve had to make restrictions to our facilities in terms of how many people we can have here.”
She’s hoping to see numbers pick back up in 2022.
“We’re still seeing some of that hesitancy and stuff as well around coming back to swimming lessons but we’re hopeful for more enrolments.”
SHARE ME