Under-5s drowning toll already at six

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Six preschoolers have drowned so far this year - equalling the total for 2010 - and water safety campaigners say it is a shocking start to the year.

Four people drowned at the weekend, including two toddlers, bringing the number of deaths in the water since the New Year to 27.

A whanau in Moerewa in the Far North desperately tried to save a 4-year-old boy who drowned after following a ball into a stream, then kept vigil overnight while they waited for his body to be retrieved.

Police and searchers were hindered by failing light and murky water on Saturday night, and a commercial diver found the boy's body in a pool beneath a small waterfall near the Otiria Marae yesterday morning.

Kaumatua have placed a rahui on the stream, banning all activity.

Senior Constable Paddy Whiu said the boy's family tried in vain to rescue him.

"He retrieved the ball and was seen to disappear under the water. The family made several unsuccessful attempts - they've tried everything to find him. They kept a watch all night. It's a sad accident."

The boy had not been publicly identified late last night.

On Saturday afternoon, 2-year-old Nylah Faamanu Vau was found face down in a pool at the Waiwera Thermal Resort, 6km north of Orewa. Lifeguards pulled the toddler from the water but were unable to revive her.

Nylah was at the complex with her family and could have gone into the pool without being seen, police said.

Dixon McIver, the resort's general manager, released a statement last night to the Herald in which he expressed his deepest sympathies to the Vau family.

He also paid tribute to his staff members who "endured this tragic experience" with the Vau family in vain rescue and resuscitation efforts.

In respecting the wishes of the Vau family, Mr McIver declined to comment further but confirmed that "if there are areas that need to be looked into, we will".

Water Safety NZ general manager Matt Claridge said the deaths of six children were a shocking start to the year. "It is incredibly unusual for a drowning in the natural environment because typically, children will drown in the bath or a swimming pool.

"Generally, parents and caregivers are a lot more vigilant around water."

The five-year average drowning toll for preschoolers has been eight a year.

Before the weekend's tragedies, Water Safety NZ issued a media release about last month's toll in which Mr Claridge said it was a major concern that it included three incidents involving unsupervised children aged between 0 and 3 years.

"These deaths are the direct result of the children being inadequately supervised; drowning is silent and can happen very quickly. This is common sense and the most basic of messages.

"Constant supervision without any distractions is fundamental, and the result of not fulfilling this responsibility is sadly predictable."

The national drowning toll for all ages so far this year is 27, compared with 86 for all of last year.

The third drowning of the weekend occurred off the Rimmer Rd part of Muriwai Beach about 7.45 on Saturday night.

The body of a 52-year-old man was found by the police Eagle helicopter after he had been in the water for more than an hour. Muriwai Life Guard Service chairman Tim Jago said it took about 20 minutes for someone to get to a phone and raise the alarm.

It was the second death of a swimmer in three weeks at the spot, which is 12km north of the Muriwai lifeguard service base. On January 11, a man, also 52, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while swimming there.

On Friday afternoon, a 27-year-old Australian man is presumed to have drowned after he tried to swim ashore from a boat on Lake Rotoroa in the Nelson Lakes area.

The search for a body has been unsuccessful, despite the efforts of the police national dive squad and deep-water sonar-scanning equipment.