Beach campaign targets 'macho' men

New beach safety initiatives are aiming to reverse the upward trend in drownings. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Men and unsupervised children are the focus of beach safety campaigns this summer as recreational drowning is on the rise.

In 2008 96 people drowned, 78 per cent of whom were men.

Water Safety New Zealand general manager Matt Claridge said this was mainly because men take part in different activities from women.

"Men are the ones usually rock fishing, boating, surfing and swimming in beaches and rivers, which makes them more at risk," he said.

Muriwai manager John Thomas said the problem came down to men's "macho attitudes".

"Women are smart, they don't drown. Men have this 'I'm a tough guy, she'll be right' attitude."

Coastguard northern manager Don Scandrett said men often forgot their responsibilities, especially when on boats.

"It's just like driving a car, you wouldn't drive after drinking, so you shouldn't be drinking while in charge of a boat. When it comes down to it, it's all about skipper responsibility."

But Water Safe Auckland Manager Barbara Venville said while male drowning is a major issue, another big problem is parents not properly supervising their children.

A recent report by the University of Auckland found 25 per cent of children have no adult supervision while at New Zealand beaches.

Venville says parents need to realise they can't simply rely on lifeguards to keep their children safe.

"Parents can't underestimate their children's safety even if their kids can swim," he said.

"Lying in the sand looking at your children in the shallows isn't enough. Leave your phone in the car, leave someone else to sort out the picnic, have one parent in the water closely supervising the children."

Surf Life Saving New Zealand development officer Andy Kent said a lack of parental supervision was a big problem for lifeguards.

"What annoys us most is when parents drop their kids off and leave. There's no one taking responsibility for all these young kids under 14, which to us is really frustrating when something does happen."

Piha Patrol captain Lloyd Herbert said parents need to realise that lifeguards are not babysitters.

"We want them to realise we aren't here to look after their kids, we have a lot of people to look after. Little kids are usually only in the shallows anyway so it's not that hard for them to come down to the water and keep an eye on them."

He said that on busy days, like New Years' Day, there are often 12,000 people on the beach with only five to 20 lifeguards on patrol.

This summer Westpac Rescue Helicopter will continue its beach surveillance, but for the first time SkyCity is funding it - meaning it can patrol all day, rather than performing just the odd check.

It costs $5000 for the helicopter to run per hour. This pays for fuel, maintenance, labour, insurance, salaries and the rescue itself.

Herbert said the helicopter was invaluable especially when it came to rock and nighttime rescues.

"They're only a phone call away and it only takes them 15 minutes to get here. They assist with searches and rescues and have equipment to winch people off the rocks and from in the surf. They also have a spotlight for night-time rescues, and can land so their paramedic can help with medical emergencies," he said.

TIPS FOR STAYING SAFE THIS SUMMER

Beaches:

- Always tell some one where you're going
- Swim within the flags, but keep an eye you don't drift out of them
- Always supervise children near the water
- Never swim alone
- Avoid beaches without lifeguards
- If you get caught in a rip, let it take you out and put your hand up DON'T try and swim out of it
- Avoid swimming when the tide is going out as it's more dangerous

Boating:

- Wear a life jacket
- Always take two forms of communication - a mobile and a radio
- Ring coastguard and fill out a 2-minute form about your boat(eg: size, colour, model)
- Tell family when you should be back
- Call the coastguard each time you go out
- Put your cell phone in a sealable bag so it can be used if it falls in the water
- Take flares
- Don't drink alcohol if you're the skipper
- Have lifejackets for everyone on board, and the right sizes