Volunteer surf lifesavers at Midway, Waikanae, Wainui, Tolaga Bay and Ngāti Porou at Onepoto patrolled for more than 3850 hours over summer. Photo / Murray Robertson
Volunteer surf lifesavers at Midway, Waikanae, Wainui, Tolaga Bay and Ngāti Porou at Onepoto patrolled for more than 3850 hours over summer. Photo / Murray Robertson
Volunteer surf lifeguards on Tairāwhiti beaches put in 3856 hours of patrol duties over summer.
During the 40 days they patrolled, 220 preventive actions were carried out, along with 2580 safety interventions.
The tally of patrol hours was up from 3532 the previous season for the five clubs in Gisborneand on the East Coast.
Kaiaponi Farms Waikanae’s patrollers carried out 106 “preventatives”, Riversun Wainui 60, Dawson Building Midway 32, Tolaga Bay 12 and Ngāti Porou at Onepoto 10.
“Preventatives” are actions where steps to help stop people getting into difficulty in the water.
The safety interventions cover a wide range of onshore actions.
In addition, volunteer guards carried out several minor and major first aid responses.
Gisborne's volunteer lifeguards patrolled on 40 days from November through to March, carrying out 220 preventative actions and 2580 safety interventions. Photo / Murray Robertson
Thomas Dodds, the Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) support lead for Tairāwhiti, said while there were only two rescues and six assists to safety during the season, the number of preventive actions underlined their efficiency.
“Our Tairāwhiti volunteer lifeguards truly did their absolute best to keep our beautiful beaches safe over summer,” Dodds said.
“The number of hours on patrol shows the commitment they all have to keeping our communities safe.
“These Gisborne clubbies are some of the best in the country. Rain, hail or shine, they are on our beaches keeping you all safe.
“I would like to thank each and every member we have in this beautiful part of the country for their hard work this summer, and bring on the next one.”
Nationally, volunteer surf lifeguards carried out 726 rescues, 887 assists to safety, 185 search operations, 47,463 preventative actions, 2005 incident responses and 207 major first aid responses.
SLSNZ lifesaving general manager Andy Kent said the 2025/26 season highlighted the critical role of lifeguards and the ongoing risks water users face.
“Across the country, our lifeguards have once again shown exceptional skill and commitment to proactively keeping people safe in often unpredictable and high-risk environments.
“This season reinforced a clear message — while lifeguards are there to help, the majority of serious incidents continue to occur outside patrol hours, outside flagged areas, or during high-risk activities.”
Early in the season, warm weather combined with dangerous and dynamic coastal conditions, especially on the west coast of Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, saw an increase in fatal drownings and serious incidents before activity eased during a period of unsettled weather through late January and February.
The continued rollout of Public Rescue Equipment (PRE) also played a role in improving outcomes, with multiple bystander rescues successfully carried out using rescue buoys at locations, including Cable Bay, Waihi Beach and St Kilda, Kent said.
“Prevention remains at the heart of what we do. Every conversation, every flag moved and every early intervention helps reduce the likelihood of a serious incident.
“That proactive work is just as important as the rescues themselves.”
Kent said there was an increasing demand on SLSNZ services.
“For example, the SLSNZ response to Cyclone Vainau saw SLSNZ deploying our SAR squad assets between regions to build up our response availability and ensure we were primed in line with severe weather warnings and local states of emergency.
“Our focus heading into next season is ensuring we have the resources, capability and coverage to meet that demand while continuing to educate the public on how to stay safe.”
With patrols stood down for the season, SLSNZ reminded New Zealanders that responsibility for safety had shifted back to individuals.
“The end of patrol season doesn’t mean the risks disappear,” Kent said.
“If you’re heading to the coast, take the time to check conditions, understand the risks and make good decisions.
