Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Lives at risk at Castlecliff, say lifeguards

By NICHOLA LOBBAN
Whanganui Chronicle·
15 Jan, 2008 11:34 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article


SWIMMERS and parents have been ignoring lifeguards' advice and putting the lives of their children at risk by allowing them to swim at Castlecliff Beach when it is closed.
Wanganui lifeguards patrol captain Star Tutaki said while most were responsible, some people were regularly dismissing lifeguards' warnings, even allowing children as
young as three to go into the waves.
For the past week, strong winds had caused the beach to be closed from about 3pm, because incoming high tides made it too dangerous to swim.
Castlecliff Beach had a strong surf break, which last year had left three confident swimmers with broken arms, legs and a fractured nose, Mr Tutaki said.
Yesterday the danger flags went up about 3pm, with strong winds pounding waves on to the beach in two second intervals.
While most swimmers had left when told the beach was closed, up to 20 people aged between three and teenage had stayed in the water.
Others had ignored the warning flags at the top of the beach and gone in anyway.
"We tell them it's dangerous, the beach is closed, and they just go, 'Oh, yeah, we're just going in for a paddle'," Mr Tutaki said.
The lifeguards were no longer liable for any injuries or death that occurred when the beach was closed for safety reasons, he said.
Some swimmers seemed unaware of what the danger flags meant or assumed that because lifeguards were on the beach, it was safe to swim, he said.
However, while the lifeguards still watched over and rescued anyone who got into trouble, people were putting themselves and their children at risk of injury, Mr Tutaki said.
At high tide, two-metre waves broke on the shore with a force that would be too great for most young children.
"There's no way I'd want my kid in there," Mr Tutaki said.
"Some parents aren't cautious enough. It's distressing. Some parents are really too relaxed when they get to the beach."
A toddler who paddled when the sea was too rough could be left with a fear of water for life if something went wrong.
And while there had been no breakages so far this year, people were coming out of the water with grazes to their arms and faces on a daily basis.
Swimming when it was unsafe also encouraged others to do it in the belief it was okay.
Although lifeguards could advise people not to put themselves at risk, they could not force them to listen. In Australia, people could be fined and removed by police, Mr Tutaki said.
"I can only advise them; I can't run them off the beach," he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

$3.2m confirmed for rural health centre

07 Jul 09:14 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Taihape books return to premier final

07 Jul 05:01 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Kaierau end Border’s reign, secure finals spot

07 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

$3.2m confirmed for rural health centre

$3.2m confirmed for rural health centre

07 Jul 09:14 PM

Raetihi's existing health facility will be transformed into a 'wellness centre'.

Taihape books return to premier final

Taihape books return to premier final

07 Jul 05:01 PM
Kaierau end Border’s reign, secure finals spot

Kaierau end Border’s reign, secure finals spot

07 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Kevin Page: Semi-retired life and the quest for dry shoes

Kevin Page: Semi-retired life and the quest for dry shoes

07 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP