Bay of Plenty lifeguards are bracing for a busy summer as beach patrols begin this weekend, sparking a plea for beachgoers to “never swim or surf alone”..
Surf Life Saving New Zealand’s eastern region lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said 425 people were rescued at beaches in the region during the 2022 and 2023 summer patrol season .
A further 366 people were assisted back to the beach safely and 405 beachgoers received first aid from the lifeguards.
Gibbons-Campbell said it was a “particularly hectic” 2022-23 patrol season, which included 83 rescues between Mount Main Beach, Tay St and Ōmanu Beach on December 28.
“We did a lot of rescues last summer due to a number of tropical cyclones and these hectic weather events were pushing a consistent swell down to the eastern region coastline. And during sunnier days, people were coming down to the beach in droves. "
There were also six water-related beach deaths in the eastern region during the same period — two each in Pāpāmoa and Ōpoutere Beach, one in Whangamatā, and another near Leisure Island, all of which happened outside the flagged areas on these beaches, Gibbons-Campbell said.
However, the exact cause of death in these cases was a matter for the coroner, and it was not known how many were medical events, he said.
Gibbons-Campbell said there would be 120 council-funded lifeguards on duty across the eastern region between Labour Weekend and Easter as well as thousands of volunteer lifeguards and support staff on duty during weekends.
The organisation was always looking for more volunteers to help spread the workload, for instance, Waiotahi (Ōpōtiki) Surf Club has 20 people refreshing their lifeguard and patrol support awards and the club “needs all the volunteers they can get”.
“If they get more volunteers then they can patrol the beach on Saturdays as well.”
Gibbons-Campbell said there were always lifeguards on duty when the flags were up but outside of flagged areas, the chances of being rescued were less likely.
A lot of people entered the water from their local beach accesswayor near where they parked their car, he said.
“I know it’s tempting to do this rather than walk to where the lifeguards have set up flagged areas on the beach, but the lifeguards understand the local swell and tide conditions and know where the rips are and what areas in the surf to avoid.”
“Some beachgoers get into difficulties because they overestimate their abilities or underestimate the surf and swell conditions.”
Gibbons-Campbell said there were rips all along the beach from Mount Maunganui to Pāpāmoa.
“I’m pleading with everyone coming to the beach to create a checklist beforehand what they need to do to keep themselves and others with them safe. That includes checking the SafeSwim website, which details where the patrolled beaches are and when lifeguards are on duty.”
Beachgoers should remember to bring sunblock, water to keep hydrated, and some kind of flotation device, check in with the lifeguards before they enter the water and “always swim or surf with someone else between the red and yellow flags”.
He urged people to be “realistic” about their limits and to always keep children at arm’s length.
“It’s frustrating when we regularly see parents sitting up near the dunes reading a book and their young children are playing near the water’s edge. It wouldn’t take much for a wave to come in and sweep a child off their feet and out to sea.”
Gibbons-Campbell said Surf Life Saving NZ “wanted to do everything it could” to prevent furtherdrownings this season.
Water Safety New Zealand has reported 94 lives were lost in waterways nationwide last year, this included nine drownings in the Bay of Plenty region in 2022 — the largest annual number of deaths for the past decade.
In a written statement, Water Safety NZ chief executive Daniel Gerrad says “alarmingly”, as of September 18 this year there had been 61 drownings nationwide, including 19 swimming (playing in the water) deaths.
Gerard implored everyone to seriously think about their “personal water competence” before undertaking their favourite water activities.
“It’s up to each of us to take collective responsibility and make sure our loved ones get home safe,” he said.