Two children died in drowning accidents yesterday, just a day before the start of a national water safety advertising campaign warning of the dangers young people face in the sea and swimming pools.
A Wairoa toddler drowned in a family pool and an 11-year-old girl was swamped by a rogue wave while swimming at Piha beach, west Auckland.
Police said a 20-month-old boy was found floating face down in his family's small swimming pool in Wairoa about 2 pm yesterday.
He was Marcus Dudley Nichol.
Wairoa Sergeant Chris Flood said despite revival attempts by family members, police and ambulance staff, the toddler died later in Hastings Hospital.
"This is a terrible tragedy for the family and all those who attended," Mr Flood said.
About 5.30 pm at Piha beach an 11-year-old Iraqi girl drowned after apparently being overwhelmed by a wave.
Her name has not yet been released.
The girl was swimming with two women and a man, but were outside the area controlled by lifeguards.
"It appears two large waves dumped on them, one after the other, and the girl was overwhelmed by it," Sergeant Gary Barber of Henderson police said.
"She was just a young girl and she wasn't a good swimmer. It's a real shocker for the family on Christmas Day."
The children's deaths brings to three the number of people who have drowned this week.
On Sunday, 60-year-old Samuel Stephens, of Pawarenga, drowned after swimming after a dinghy that had slipped its mooring in Whangape Harbour, 42km southwest of Kaitaia.
Earlier this month Water Safety figures showed New Zealand was headed toward a record low year in drownings.
Water Safety executive director Alan Muir said there had been 10 per cent fewer drownings this year compared with the previous low for the same period in 1999.
Last year 135 people drowned in New Zealand.
The country's drownings toll in early December was 94.
- NZPA
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