Parents take the plunge to keep kids swim-safe

9-year-old Reed Brien with his 6-year-old sister Indie Brien, have taken part in the free swimming lessons. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Free water-skills lessons for Auckland children are being offered with a catch: a parent or caregiver must be in the pool with the child during each of the five sessions.

Although getting in a pool is a new and challenging experience for some adults, WaterSafe Auckland said the rule was aimed at getting more families to swim together and parents to understand the meaning of active supervision.

Drowning was the country's third-highest cause of accidental death and too many families hadn't had the chance to learn how to keep themselves and others safe around water, said Jonny Gritt, chief executive of WaterSafe Auckland.

Its Whanau Nui programme starts on January 19 across 20 Auckland pools, with places for 1500 children and their caregivers for a free 30-minute session each day for five days.

"It can give a parent or caregiver a wide range of skills they can use to continue teaching their children, their whanau and take them back into the community," said Mr Gritt.

"The programme also builds their competence and confidence in an around the water."

Mr Gritt said the most important skill for parents was keeping children within sight, sound and reach - without distraction. They had to be able to assess risk and prevent anyone getting into difficulty.

Whanau Nui began as a small programme in the former Manukau City in 2006 and has enrolled 4239 children and 2093 adults.

WaterSafe Auckland will get $970,000 this year from Auckland Council for a range of education programmes to reach 350,000 people.

Plunket also had a message to parents with small children around water - stay close and actively supervise your children, keeping them within reach at all times when they are in and around water.

The agency had teamed up with Huggies on a scheme to give parents a new incentive to enrol their toddlers in swimming lessons, get into the water, hold them close and keep them safe.

Huggies' Little Swimmers will run at selected swim schools throughout the country and all children under 18 months enrolled for term one will get free swimpants.

"[It] will make the transition to swimming lessons so much easier," said Plunket safety adviser Sue Campbell.

Mum keen to ensure lessons hit home

Julie Brien has twice had to overcome her panic and swim out of the clutches of a dangerous surf rip and now wants her children to be able to do the same, if they need to.

"You are having fun in the surf and all it takes is a couple of waves and you're swimming for your life," said the resident of Patumahoe, South Auckland.

Last January, she enrolled with her 9-year-old son Reed (pictured above right) and 6-year-old daughter Indie (left) in the Whanau Nui programme.

"I liked the request that the parents get in pool as well, so even though the course tutors are teaching the child to swim, they are also teaching the parents how to continue the teaching.

"I think our role as parents is to be first educators for children and this is one case we need to take that role seriously.

"I've seen kids terrified to get in the water and parents embarrassed because they don't have the skills to get them in.

"But the tutors have the skills and, within a week, this reluctance will change."

Auckland drowning rate

• 1.3% per 100,000 population.

• Rest of New Zealand: 2.7%.

Whanau Nui water skills programme available at 20 pools across Auckland.