An annual summer camp is teaching water safety to at-risk Maori in Hawke's Bay, including the children of gang members, and aims to turn the tide on high Maori drowning statistics.
This is the first year the focus is on rivers, which Water Safety New Zealand calls quiet killers.
In Maori culture, water is an energy called Tangaroa. It can be calm and life-giving, or dangerous and life-taking.
A man who lost his son to suicide says connecting with Tangaroa is a good way to teach water safety.
"The aim for this camp is to build resilient young people, connected young people, confident young people, thrown in with a bit of leadership."
Zack Makoare formed Te Taitimu Trust after in a bid to help young people and boost water safety skills. At this year's camp they're rafting down the Mohaka River, inland and north of Napier.
Fifteen-15-year-old Isabella Ngahuia-Love has been with the trust for eight years.
"I think it's important to learn about water safety because as Maori we've got a larger death toll because the water's a part of our culture, so you have to learn how to be safe in it," she says.
Royal Timu's father, Rex Timu, is president of the Hastings Mongrel Mob chapter. He says understanding the water can help in more ways than one.
"It can help you in the dangers of Tangaroa, and if you're ever in a difficult situation the stuff that you learn can also help you at that time," says Mr Timu.
Rob Hewitt became a water safety ambassador after surviving three nights floating at sea after he got lost diving off Kapiti Coast. He says learning these skills can go a long way.
"One of the phrases we use is kia manu kia ora, which means stay afloat, stay alive, and if we can teach them to stay afloat in and around the water then we hope they can transfer these skills into life itself."
Maori account for 35 percent of all drownings between the ages of five and 18.
Tom McFarlane says building confidence around the water is important in reducing that toll.
"You got to get to know each other so we're all in this together. So those relationships are a big part and building them around the rafting and the rivers and the ocean too."
A message that's strongly pushed is to swim between the flags, but Water Safety New Zealand says the danger of rivers is underestimated. It urges swimmers to check a spot thoroughly before jumping, even at well-known swimming holes, because debris may have drifted into the landing zone since you were last there.
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