A lifeguard is calling New Zealand's drowning rate a "national tragedy" after new figures show Kiwi drowning deaths are significantly higher than Australia's.
As temperatures soar across the country this week, it is a timely reminder for Kiwis to remember to swim between the flags.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) has released its 2023 National Beach and Coastal Safety Report revealing there were 46 fatal drownings along the coastline between June 2022 and June 2023.
It brings the number of fatal drownings in the past decade on New Zealand's coastline to 424, averaging just over 42 each year.
"Each loss of life leaves families and communities shattered and highlights our collective responsibility to address this crisis," SLSNZ head of coastal safety and research Adam Wooler said.
It also highlighted a concerning disparity between New Zealand's and Australia's drowning rates per capita, with ours 57 percent higher than Australia's 10-year average.
"While our island nation's beaches are beloved playgrounds, there's no justification for our drowning rate to exceed Australia's," Wooler said.
"We must invest in the right areas and empower beachgoers with the right tools to make informed and safe choices."
Over the last 10 years, 38 percent of beach and coastal fatal drownings occurred at a surf beach in New Zealand, while rip currents were identified as the "greatest hazard," contributing to 12 percent of drowning deaths at beaches in the last decade.
"The share of drownings that are occurring at beaches remains stubbornly stuck at around the 30 percent level. Beaches are consistently the most dangerous location to recreate," the report said.
Without the intervention of surf lifeguards, these numbers could have been much worse.
Already this season, surf lifeguards have spent over 50,600 hours on patrol, they've rescued 73 people, performed over 5400 preventative actions, and carried out over 300 first aids.
"One of the biggest challenges is encouraging beachgoers to swim between the red and yellow flags, which is proven to be the safest place to swim," Wooler said.
"In 2018 we started working with Auckland Council to develop safeswim.org.nz which provides essential and up-to-date information on lifeguarded beaches, patrol times, safety messages, and warnings. Our aim is to have every beach in New Zealand on this platform but that can only be done with help from all Councils."
The annual report paints a similar picture. Consistent with previous years, the 2023 National Beach and Coastal Safety Report found Auckland had the highest number of fatalities, followed by Canterbury, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty.
During the past year, the report found fatal drownings predominantly occurred during swimming/wading (26 percent) and swimming at surf beaches posed the greatest risk (37 percent).
SLSNZ told Newshub on the first day of the lifesaving season, that they are expecting larger crowds this summer as it's the first El Niño summer in about seven to eight years which will bring drier-than-normal conditions to most of the country.
With January, traditionally the deadliest month, still ahead, SLSNZ is urging everyone to visit safeswim.org.nz to find a lifeguarded beach, and swim between the red and yellow flags.
However, Wooler said more needs to be done and it needs to come from the top-down.
"We're calling for greater investment towards a long-term, evidence-based national beach and coastal safety strategy, driven by the Government," he said.
"It's only then can we reverse the upward trend in fatal drownings."
