Why do so many people die at our beaches?
People don't have enough respect for the sea and the result is often deadly.
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Latest from Surf Life Saving
Fight to save drowned woman's life: 'He did CPR for half an hour'
Tragedy played out over VHF radio.
Our grim toll: Drowning deaths reach four in three days
The water is incredibly inviting and incredibly unforgiving, water safety boss says.
Water safety urged after yacht rescue of pair without radio
The pair were sailing along remote South Island coastline without a Marine VHS radio.
Person rescued from Mount Maunganui beach
One person experienced difficulty in the water near Marine Parade.
Saving lives: Cost breakdown for vital surf life saving gear
Surf Live Saving clubs have to pay for everything from band-aids to bodybags.
How many lives did lifeguards save at your beach last summer?
Search our interactive graphic to see how many rescues your club carried out last summer.
Surf rescue: 'I thought she was gone'
Chaz Gibbons-Campbell desperately searched underwater for girl he was trying to save.
It costs a young lifeguard $50 each time she goes on weekend patrol
Lifeguard knows the dangers all too well after nearly being swept away as a child.
Unfunded lifeguards need your help to save lives this summer
It's costing volunteers lifeguards personally to keep us safe at the beach.
Between The Flags: Draevyn Joyce plucked from the waves
Focus: 12-year-old Draevyn Joyce, who cannot swim, is lucky to be alive after two strangers rescued him after he was swept out to sea at Himitangi Beach. Video / Mark Mitchell
Man caught in rip dies in Coromandel in the season's third tragic water death
Dramatic attempts to revive the man were unsuccessful.
Christmas Day water chaos: Sharks, orca sightings close Auckland beaches
Several paddleboarders reported seeing 2m-long shark close to shore.
'We can't be there 24/7': Heartbreak in Christmas beach tragedy
A man crabbing and a snorkeller have died in the water on Christmas Day.
Water tragedy: Second Christmas Day drowning in Northland
A person has drowned near Lake Taharoa in what is the second Christmas Day water death.
'Do not swim' warning: Shark sighted at Orewa Beach
Swimmers urged to avoid Orewa, Red and Hatfields Beaches after shark sighting.
17yo abandons ironman race to save man stuck on rocks
Cayleen Bester's life saving instincts kicked in when she spotted a man stuck on rocks.
Swept down a river and out to sea: 'She is a lady with a great will to live'
Woman walked out of surf hours later and 10km away. Her son, 6, had walked 2km for help
Piha lifeguard training turns real after fisherman swept off rocks
The lifeguards managed to save the fisherman's life at Piha on Sunday morning.
'I thought I was too late': Off-duty lifeguard rescues woman, boy
Wanting to go for a boogie board, he ended up saving two stranded swimmers.
Four teens blown 3.5km out to sea on inflatable kayaks
Offshore wind picks up as teens were playing just beyond the waves.
'Absolutely stoked': $5.2m surf lifesaving club rebuild to begin
Demolition starting soon: How lifeguard patrols will be affected this summer.
Pinched: Surf lifesaving club ute stolen
A valuable piece of equipment has been stolen from the Karekare Surf Lifesaving Club.
Swimmers, boaties and kids: Water Safety Month aims to save lives
Already this year, 57 people have died in the water in preventable incidents.
The heroic rescue that saved lives and the environment
Scottish couple issued a mayday call after their anchor snapped in rough seas.
Second body found on West Coast beach
At least one of the bodies believed to be that of a fisherman.
10 metre-plus waves: Wild weather on way for weekend
'There is a heightened risk for those people that may get in trouble in the water.'
Surf Lifeguards honoured after large scale rescue
Surf Life Savers who rescued 10 people in a massive beach rescue have been honoured.
Thirty seconds from drowning: Dramatic water rescue earns award
"Her initial response was 'thank god you guys were here, I thought I was gone'."
Survivor's story: Floating log saved him after Google Maps sea shortcut
Remopita Pongi owes his life to a piece of driftwood and his waterproof iPhone.
Lifeguard recalls rescue mission of three people in darkness
Emergency service worker said it was one of the most challenging jobs of his career.
Acutely hypothermic but alive; successful rescue from Port Waikato coast
The woman was so cold she went into cardiac arrest en-route to Auckland Hospital.
Lifeguards recognised for 'ballsy' rescues which saved lives
"They certainly saved lives."