Editorial: Sea a perilous place that we must respect

Amie Russell's parents say she was fun-loving, courageous and determined.

Like many other Bay locals, I visit the beach as often as I can over the summer months.

It is one of the lifestyle benefits of living in the Western Bay and reminds me of just how lucky I am to live here.

It's hard to go past a cool dip in the ocean when the temperature rises and, on the many hot days we have enjoyed this summer, thousands of people - swimmers, surfers, paddleboarders and kayakers - have headed to the region's beaches.

While the coastline is one of the region's most outstanding features, it also presents many dangers.

This was highlighted again this week when a 15-year-old up-and-coming sports star drowned in a freak paddle boarding accident in the Coromandel.

Amie Louise Russell drowned after she fell from her board in the Whangamata harbour and was sucked beneath a moored yacht on Wednesday.

She had been wearing a belt pouch with a life jacket.

The Morrinsville teenager had been holidaying with her family and her best friend in the popular beach town before the accident.

She was an accomplished basketball player on her way to bright things.

Last year, she represented New Zealand in the under-16 girls basketball team and played for the Waikato region in four different teams.

"Her passing will be a huge loss for women's basketball in this country," her parents said in a statement.

It's agonising to see all that potential lost in a freak accident.

Her death spurred police to issue a public warning.

They said the incident was a reminder of how quickly things could go wrong in the water and urged people to take the time to identify what tides and currents were doing and to never underestimate the power of moving water.

On page 7 of today's paper, Bay of Plenty Times Weekend reporter Dawn Picken canvasses the views of instructors and newbies about the gear and knowledge you need before hitting the water on a paddle board, canoe, kayak and even a boogie board.

Having already clocked about eight hours on the water, she joined a weekly Wednesday morning group with an instructor.

She found she had already committed rookie sins during a single holiday trip: not carrying a communication device and not checking wind speed before venturing into a harbour.

The mistakes are not uncommon.

Commenting on last year's drowning toll, Matt Claridge, general manager of Water Safety New Zealand, said the need for children to learn swimming and survival skills was fundamental to a reduction in drowning.

A significant roadblock to this is that no single government agency takes ownership of this important task.

Several have an interest but no teeth are applied to a solution, Claridge said.

While it would be good for a single agency to take responsibility for improving the situation, Kiwis also need to do more individually to ensure water safety is part of their general knowledge.