Despite the wet and gloomy weather in many areas, surf lifeguards across the country were kept busy on Christmas Day, carrying out 13 rescues and 10 assists nationally.
In total, more than 2197 hours were spent patrolling New Zealand’s coastlines on Christmas Day, while 789 preventive actions by Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) surf lifeguards kept the public safe.
While many regions were relatively quiet, this did not stop several major incidents occuring, including a mass rescue performed at Wainui, near Gisborne.
SLSNZ teamed up with Coastguard New Zealand and the police for a search and rescue operation looking for a missing kite surfer at Raglan, multiple rescues at Waipātiki, and the treatment and helicopter transfer of a suspected spinal injury patient at Whangamatā.
SLSNZ chief executive Steve Fisher said one of the organisation’s core objectives was to intervene early and stop a situation from escalating, and both paid and volunteer surf lifeguards were present to provide guidance and expert advice to the public.
“We exist to support the public in safely enjoying New Zealand’s coastlines.
“Surf lifeguards have an excellent understanding of the many dangers present, and we highly recommend that the public heeds our advice, particularly when it comes to some of our country’s more dangerous beaches.
“It is frustrating when members of the public do not heed our early guidance.
“We provide a great deal of information to the public through channels such as the Safe Swim website and through information boards and signage at beaches.
“But when you arrive at a beach, between the red and yellow flags is always the safest place to swim,” he said.
