Police offer water safety advice as holiday drowning deaths start to climb

Police are urging people to take water safety precautions seriously as the summer weather settles in and drowning deaths increase.

Four separate water tragedies have been reported this week - one on Christmas Day at Christchurch’s Lake Roto Kohatu, two on Boxing Day in South Auckland and Ōpōtiki and another one early yestersay morning at Kaitoke Regional Park in Upper Hutt.

Police today issued a long list of advice and tips for those who plan to spend time in the water - whether swimming in rivers or at the beach, diving or boating.

It comes as Surf Lifesaving New Zealand also announced it is extending patrol hours along the Mount Maunganui coastline due to the number of people getting into trouble - with 10 rescues involving 19 people on Boxing Day alone.

“Sadly, each year our staff see tragic outcomes occur in and around water,” a police spokesperson said, explaining that last year was the worst for drownings in a decade with 90 deaths.

“Over the course of 2022, the Police National Dive Squad has been called out to assist with several searches for missing divers, swimmers or boaties, and many of those searches involved recovering people to return to their loved ones rather than getting them home safe.

“This is not the outcome anyone wants. We want everyone to come home to their whānau after a day enjoying the water.”

Police said whether diving, swimming or boating, it was vital to avoid alcohol. “Alcohol and water don’t mix and can have fatal consequences.”

Here are the top tips from police for divers, swimmers and boaties.

Diving - Ruku moana

• Diving for kai for Christmas? Make sure you always have a buddy. Please don’t dive alone. Stay safe together so you can return home with a good haul.
• If you are diving from a boat, it’s a legal requirement to display a dive flag. With divers, spear fishers, snorkellers and swimmers sharing the water, it pays to be careful.
• It is a good idea for free divers and swimmers to have a float if more than 200m from shore, and if you’re going scuba diving have a safety sausage you can deploy on the surface.
• Get the right equipment and maintain it well. Failure to regularly maintain equipment can have severe consequences.
• Always check the weather and tide conditions in advance of departing the dock. Safe surfacing procedures, including safety stops, are an essential component in a scuba divers skill set. Plan for things if they go wrong during the dive and on the surface.
• Are you fit and healthy enough to dive? Check if the medications you take are compatible with diving and get a check-up, especially if there have been changes in your health.
• This is also important if you have had Covid recently, particularly if you received treatment like medical oxygen or were hospitalised. There could be ongoing effects, especially to your respiratory system. Please go and see a Diving Doctor (WorkSafe) to discuss this and check that you are fit to return to any diving, Scuba or free diving.

Swimming - Kaukau

• Actively supervise tamariki around water. Things can change in an instant.
• Rivers are changeable and unpredictable and can contain hidden dangers.
• Check for hidden objects in swimming holes, such as logs. Water can change in depth each summer and currents can move objects underwater.
• Please look before you leap. Get local knowledge about the risks.
• If swimming at the beach, swim between the flags, they are there to keep you safe and watch out for rips in the water.

Last year was the worst for drownings in a decade with 90 deaths. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Boating - Eke poti

• Everyone on the water needs a plan for how they are going to stay safe in case things go wrong.
• It’s vital you prep your craft and ensure maintenance on engines and ancillary equipment has been done, check your gear to make sure it’s safe and fit for purpose and make sure you know what the weather is going to be in the area you intend to go.
• If you get into trouble and are wearing a lifejacket your chances of survival are much greater. Always wear a life jacket when boating and jet skiing or using any other craft on the water.
• Have two forms of waterproof communication on board, such as mobile phone or marine radio.
• Make sure your equipment is safe and working.
• Check the marine weather forecast MetService.
• Know the rules for the area you’re in.
• Be familiar with navigational hazards in your area.
• Know your responsibilities for keeping yourself and your passengers as well as other water users safe. Also, make sure you know about bylaws and rules that apply to recreational craft. As the skipper, you are legally responsible.