Drowning deaths have risen sharply this summer in a worrying trend, with 22 people dying in the water since December 1 – nine more than the same period last year.
Police today confirmed the names of two people who were killed while in the water yesterday and over the weekend. They included 69-year-old Peter Reece Walker, from Mahia, who died in a diving tragedy on Sunday.
Meanwhile yesterday, a person was pronounced dead at the scene following a water-related incident at a beach in Gisborne just before noon. Sandie Lee Reihana, 42, from Kaiti, was named as the victim.
Both deaths were referred to the coroner.
"Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this difficult time," police said.
Emotional warning amid one of NZ's deadliest summers for drownings - Watch on TVNZ+
Warnings of changing conditions
Surf Life Saving patrols have warned of dangerous changes in beach conditions, with large winter weather events causing big drop-offs and changes in currents.
For Donna Cruickshank, the warnings hit painfully close to home after her 15-year-old son Samuel and husband Ian drowned at Opoutere Beach in Coromandel in 2023.
"Nobody goes on holiday or goes to the beach thinking that something bad will happen. We didn't," Cruickshank said.
She said they had swum at the beach two days before and felt safe.
"Don't assume because you have been somewhere before, and it's been fine, that it will still be fine. That's what we did, and it wasn't fine," she said.
"The weather can change the currents, the weather can change the seabed, the river levels might be different, there could be debris in the water."
January's warmer weather has coincided with more drownings, with 10 deaths in less than two weeks into the new year compared to three this time last year.
Surf Life Saving general manager Andy Kent said most drownings were preventable.
He said patrols were warning of dangerous changes in beach conditions due to large winter weather events, causing big drop-offs in the water and changes in currents.
"The coast is a pretty dynamic environment," Kent said.
"When there's a low tide, sort of, in that mid to the end of day when people are still visiting and when there's a big swell happening, we're very conscious of that.
"Those are our peak times when lifeguards are really, really vigilant, because that's our danger zone."
It's not just beachgoers behind the tragic figures.
Water Safety NZ chief executive Glen Scanlon said drownings this summer had been across a range of environments.
"We have seen so far this summer that the deaths have been very sadly across a range of environments. Typically at this time of year, you'd expect beach environments to be more represented, but it's not necessarily the case.
"We've seen them in our rivers, our lakes and at home," Scanlon said.
He noted that the rate of drownings had been trending downwards in the longer term, over the past 25 years, with spikes through time and as conditions changed.
Scanlon warned against complacency around water safety.
"There's a bit of a she'll be right attitude. I'll be right. I know this and I understand it. I've done this before. But even on these beautiful calm hot days, conditions shouldn't be underestimated," he said.
For Cruickshank, every summer was a reminder of how quickly those conditions can change.
"I was just up at the cemetery yesterday, and it's been nearly three years, and my son will be 18 now and I was thinking, I don't know what he would be doing this year.
"I don't know and I will never know what he would have done," she said.
One family's tragedy highlights the urgent need for greater public awareness around the danger of our beaches. (Source: Sunday)
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