What’s being done to tackle our woeful water safety as we approach the deadliest month of the year? (Source: 1News)
New Zealand's sobering drowning statistics over the past decade have been described as a "national tragedy" in the latest report into beach and coastal safety.
According to Surf Lifesaving New Zealand's (SLSNZ) National Beach and Coastal Safety Report there have been 424 fatal drownings along the country's coastline in the past decade which is, per capita, 57% higher than Australia's 10-year average.
The annual report paints a similarly "distressing" picture, with 46 Kiwis drowning on New Zealand's coastline between June 2022 and June 2023, slightly less than the 54 reported last year.
SLSNZ's head of coastal safety and research Adam Wooler said there is no justification for Kiwis to be drowning at a rate that exceeds Australia, describing the severity of the toll as a "national tragedy".
"Each loss of life leaves families and communities shattered and highlights our collective responsibility to address this crisis," he said.
Wooler stressed the urgent need for greater investment in long-term, evidence-based strategies and education around beach safety, sharing that SLSNZ are working alongside Auckland Council to effectively "change the narrative".
"We must invest in the right areas and empower beach-goers with the right tools to make informed and safe choices," he said.
Wooler said the regional data breakdown was "consistent with previous years", finding Auckland had the highest number of fatalities, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty.
The report highlights "increased risk" over the short but busy summer season, with 201 beach and coastal drownings in the last 10 years occurring during the three summer months of December, January, and February ― nearly half of the total annual count.
Over the last 10 years, 38% of beach and coastal fatal drownings occurred at a surf beach in New Zealand and rip currents were identified as the "greatest hazard," contributing to 12% of drowning deaths at beaches between January 2011 and June 2023.
The data suggested a strong relationship between rip currents, beaches, and swimming or wading incidents.
The report said males account for 86% of fatal drownings on average, identified across all coastal activities as "more likely to take risks and less likely to follow safety practices" while the opposite is true for women.
Wooler said more needs to be done from the "top down", calling on the Government to drive strategy that helps to reverse the upward trend in drownings.
Lifesaving initiative aiding public rescues
The decade report also explored bystanders undertaking in-water rescues, which occur when a member of the public or off-duty guard rescues someone else "often outside patrolled areas or times".
Wooler said the role of bystander rescuers "cannot be underestimated" but can also be fatal if the rescuer gets into trouble themselves.
A major factor in these tragic situations is the lack of flotation devices used or taken when attempting a rescue, with data from the 10-year study showing more than half of rescues were conducted without using any rescue or flotation equipment.
Because of this, coroners are increasingly recommending that councils work with SLSNZ to conduct hazard and risk assessments to determine where beach safety signs and public rescue equipment (PRE) should be placed.
In 2021, SLSNZ began a project to create standards for PRE as a "crucial tool" to decrease the number of drownings and enhance safety along some of the most hazardous coastlines and inland waterways.
Developed by SLSNZ's National coastal safety manager Mick Kearney and Teresa Stanley from Drowning Prevention Aotearoa, the Guide to Public Rescue Equipment for the New Zealand Coast sets a standard for the design and associated signage for PRE following the completion of a Coastal Risk Assessment.
Dr Kearney said the document is a first for New Zealand and the benefits are "immeasurable".
"PRE will now be made here in New Zealand and placed on every surf life saving club around the country... So, if someone needs help outside of regular hours and runs to the club looking for help, they will be able to use the PRE."
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