ACC challenging Northland swimmers to practice better water safety this summer

Water Safety NZ and ACC are asking Northlanders to take extra care in the water this summer.

With the region having the third-highest drowning rates in the country, Northlanders are being warned to exercise extra caution in the water this summer.

According to ACC, in 2022 alone, 14 people had already drowned in the Northland region, second only to Auckland (15).

Last year, 10 people in Northland drowned and 18 were hospitalised due to a water-related activity, making Northland the third-highest region per capita for drownings (5.05 per 100,000 people) in all of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Water Safety NZ and ACC are urging Northlanders to take water safety seriously, issuing a wero [challenge] to all people living in the region to be extra-vigilant while in and around the water.

“We have to make better decisions around water,” said Daniel Gerrard, Water Safety NZ CEO.

“A drowning is a devastating event for any whānau and community.

“These incidents are preventable – if you stop and take time to assess the risks. Collectively, we all have to make better decisions around water.”

In 2021, there were 90 preventable drownings, the highest number in 10 years.

Of those, men were over-represented in the death toll, with a total of 76 compared to 14 women.

“They’re a father, a son, an uncle, a brother or a grandfather,” Gerrard said.

And it is not just drownings.

According to ACC, from July 1, 2021 to June 30 this year, 27,583 claims were made for water-related injuries.

That’s about 76 claims a day from people out enjoying activities like surfing, fishing and swimming.

Gerrard said most people underestimated the risks while overestimating their ability.

“Most drownings and water-related injuries are preventable if we all take a moment to consider the risks,” he says.

Gerrard says adults need to ensure their children are safe. The vast majority of children who drown are alone and unsupervised, or in the care of other children at the time.

The cost to help people recover from these injuries is said to be $81 million.

Water sports had the highest number, with 19,351 injury claims in that period, ahead of boating injuries (8,649).

Males once again made up the highest rates of injuries, leading at 64 per cent of all water-related injury claims.

The top five regions for water-related injuries in 2021/22 were Auckland (7,899), Waikato (3,718), the Bay of Plenty (2,944), Canterbury (2,499), and Northland (2,148).

In the past five years in Northland, there were 9,945 water-related injuries, with 2,148 of those occurring between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, amounting to a total of $6.2m in recovery costs.

“We’re huge supporters of people getting out and following their passion,” said James Whitaker, ACC Injury Prevention Programme lead.

“Whether it’s getting out with their mates for a surf, time with the whānau by the beach, or fishing at their favourite spot on the river.

“ACC is here to support people who need it, and we’ll do everything we can to help people recover.

“It’s better for everyone when fewer people are injured in the first place, though, and we’re therefore laying down a wero to all New Zealanders to ‘Have a Hmmm’.

“Think about the risks relating to the activity you’re about to do. Think about the best ways to avoid those risks, do things safely, and you can keep doing what you love.”

Gerrard added that knowing how to swim was not enough, and that it was important to learn the fundamentals of being safe around the water.

Water Safety NZ is urging people to ensure they know the Water Safety Code and to come home safe to their whānau this summer.

Water Safety Code

· Be prepared

· Watch out for yourself and others

· Be aware of the dangers

· Know your limits