Northlander Esther Hone lost a friend 33 years ago in the Milford Sound, pictured. Photo / Nicola Lamb
Northlander Esther Hone lost a friend 33 years ago in the Milford Sound, pictured. Photo / Nicola Lamb
If anyone knows the importance of learning water survival skills at a young age, it’s Northlander Esther Hone.
The former competitive swimmer and current water safety advocate was a teenager when she lost her friend during a boating accident 33 years ago in the South Island.
Hone, who wasthen aged 18 and working in Milford Sound, had joined six work colleagues for a trip to Lake Gunn to celebrate their day off.
The group spent the day relaxing at a waterfall, but as they headed back in the afternoon, the wind had picked up and the calm lake “turned into a rough ocean”.
Their boat capsized, and knowing the likelihood of being found was small, Hone left the group clinging to the upturned dinghy and swam 2km to shore for help.
“I knew where we were; it wasn’t often people would stop by,” she said.
“The chances of us surviving in the cold water were pretty slim.”
Luckily, someone in a motor home saw Hone swimming across the lake and raised the alarm.
It wasn’t until later that evening that she found out one person hadn’t made it back.
The body of 51-year-old Terrance Flynn was never found.
“I assumed everyone had the same lessons as I did to learn to swim ... you take it for granted that everyone has the skills you have,” Hone said.
“It was a huge eye-opener.”
That understanding of how quickly things can go wrong, particularly in open water environments, drove Hone to a career in water safety.
Hone, a Whangārei resident of Ngāpuhi descent, now oversees Water Safety New Zealand’s Water Skills For Life programme, providing year 1-8 children with practical skills.
The programme is taught by teachers at school swimming pools or qualified instructors at community facilities.
Water Safety NZ’s Esther Hone has shared a harrowing tale ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day.
Last year, Sport Northland supported 449 teachers to teach life-saving water skills to 8850 students in the region.
“It gives kids a better chance of survival when things go wrong in the open water,” Hone said.
“We know the majority of drownings happen in the open water, but most children are taught in swimming pools.
“Water Skills For Life encourages a simulated open water environment in the swimming pool, creating currents and rough water ... so kids can know what it feels like and know what to do to keep themselves water safe.”
Hone is also sharing her tale for World Drowning Prevention Day today, an annual event organised by the World Health Organisation.
This year’s theme, “Share Your Story,” encourages people to speak openly about their experiences in, on, or around the water.
By sharing personal stories, it’s hoped drownings can be prevented.
Some stories are well known, including that of Rob Hewitt, an ex-navy diver who spent 75 hours in the open sea after a diving trip off the Kāpiti Coast went terribly wrong in 2006.
Hewitt, now an ambassador and kaihautū [leader] for Water Safety New Zealand, dedicates much of his time advocating for water safety, with a focus on Māori and Pasifika communities.
Water Safety NZ data shows there has been one drowning in Northland so far this year.
There were 10 drowning fatalities in Northland in 2024, including seven off the coast, one in a river, one at a residential property, and one tidal drowning.
The number of drownings dropped in 2023, with only four deaths, compared to 18 in 2022.
The decrease in 2023 was put down to local water safety initiatives and a strong local push to drive behaviour change.
Hone stressed the importance for parents and schools to prioritise water survival skills.
“Making sure they’re teaching the survival skills is what’s going to give them [tamariki] a greater chance.
“You can’t purely rely on learning to swim... you need to be able to survive.”
Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and animal welfare issues.
