The country’s entire east coast continues to see unsettled water conditions and bigger swells resulting from cyclones and strong winds.
Over the Christmas long weekend, 15 rescues were carried out at Northland beaches, while 2022 counted 18 fatalities in the region’s waters. Although the Enchanter disaster’s five deaths contributed to the high number, it still exceeded 2021′s total of 10 with those excluded.
In Northland alone, the Christmas weekend had 15 rescues and 12 assists take place. Paid and volunteer lifeguards worked a cumulative 2686 hours across three days to keep beachgoers in Northland safe, taking 956 preventive actions.
In a recent interview with RNZ, Water Safety New Zealand CEO Daniel Gerrard said last year there were 93 water-related fatalities, which may change after final coroner’s reports are received. He said two more would make it the most tragic year since 1999.
Men accounted for 90 per cent of last year’s fatalities on the water, with those aged 55 and older most affected.
“We all can see what these cyclones and stronger winds have been doing,” Gerrard said.
According to Niwa coastal scientist Dr Christo Rautenbach, the ocean floor — and corresponding water conditions — are changed dramatically by weather events and tides.
“With any increase in wave energy reaching the coastline, things can change very dramatically and very quickly,” he said.
“Beaches that are very exposed to waves tend to be steeper, and the sediment tends to be more coarse because the beach is dealing with a lot of energy.
“Storms move and erode a lot of sediment, which changes the shape of the ocean floor.”
Rautenbach said aggressive shapes in the coastline were what led to new channels and bars, and could lead to new rip currents as well.
“Rips are very closely linked to the changing of the ocean floor — the beach slope and shape, and the movement of sediment — which is also intricately linked in with tides.
“Outgoing tides are already pulling water back out to sea, and rip currents add to that.”
On Wednesday, January 19, a single mother and her 14-year-old daughter were terrified by their experience of being caught in a rip at Taupō Bay.
Amber Harris*, who described herself and her daughter as competent and confident swimmers, had stopped at the bay on their way up to the Cape.
What ensued led them to cancel their plans and return to their accommodation in Paihia, where they shut themselves away to watch movies for the afternoon.
“We couldn’t face anything,” Harris said.
“We didn’t get back into the water for two days.”
Harris said it was her first time being caught in a rip, after her daughter was pulled in and she remained at her side.
“There was a drop, a hole. Slowly, I could feel myself getting pulled in,” she said.
“I tried not to panic too much, but in my head it was obviously a million miles an hour.
“I told her it was okay, ‘I’ve got you’. And because I was being calm, she thought we were okay. But I was struggling to keep her up.”
Harris said she immediately raised her arm to signal their distress.
“I didn’t know if it would do much good without lifeguards. And I wondered who would want to put themselves into danger to come help us.”
“I thought ‘this could be us’,” Harris said, still audibly shaken four days after the incident.
Thankfully, a fellow beachgoer pulled them to safety.
“When I saw this guy coming for us, I realised we were going to be okay.”
“He saved me and my daughter. It could have been a completely different outcome.”
She described the experience as “quite terrifying”.
“It was very quick, but we’re still having flashbacks.”
Harris said she’d had a look at the water upon arriving, and had noticed the rip.
“We chose a spot away from it, near lots of people, and I was mindful of keeping my daughter on the safe side of me.
“This is what we do. We travel around, we go swimming.”
Locals at Taupō Bay’s unpatrolled beach have witnessed several people pulled into the rip in the past fortnight, despite warning signs posted at all four paths to the beach.
Water Safety NZ’s Gerrard has recently spoken about our “bigger problem” of unpatrolled beaches.
He said only about 2 per cent of the country’s coastline was patrolled by Surf Life Saving New Zealand, with a focus often on historic locations. He described the opportunity that exists to begin looking at places where populations were growing, and dangerous but popular holiday spots where roving patrols could be beneficial.
Just six Northland beaches are patrolled: Mangawhai, Ruakākā, Whangārei Heads, Waipū Cove, Baylys Beach and Ahipara.
Vicki Rehu, president of the Far North Surf Life Saving Club, said it had been a busy season at Ahipara with plenty of minor rescues and at least one person hospitalised.
She said the paid lifeguards who came up to work over the peak summer season had been busy reminding people to swim between the flags, and members of the public had been co-operative.
“Beach education is very important for people of all ages, not just kids,” Rehu said.
Waipū Cove Surf Life Saving Club club captain Kath Manning, who would have led the Northland surf lifesaving education tour earlier this month, has shared her tips for beach safety.
“When you arrive at the beach, don’t just choose the easiest spot. Have a conscious thought about what’s going on. It might mean walking 100m further down to find a safe spot,” Manning said.
She advised observing for rips, holes, surfers, boats launching, and river mouths or estuary outlets.
“There is often a fixed rip at river mouths of estuary outlets, especially on the outgoing tide.”
She advised taking note of tide times and wind direction because they can influence the type of waves.
Manning also advised speaking to locals on the beach about hazards, especially on unpatrolled beaches.
She encouraged the reading of all signs at entry points to beaches because they may provide important location-specific safety messages.
Manning cautioned against the use of inflatable toys in the water.
“They are not designed for the beach, and are very dangerous with offshore wind and an outgoing tide — keep them for pool play.”
She also said swimming was safest with company.
“Having someone with you is key, so if anything happens, any injury or difficulty, the alarm can be raised.
“It goes without saying that all young children should be kept within arm’s reach, and a close watch kept on older children. But even adults shouldn’t be swimming alone.”
She encouraged all beachgoers to trust their instincts.
“If you don’t feel comfortable with the conditions, don’t go out.”
She advised those who find themselves witnessing an emergency to assist only if they were a competent swimmer.
“Call 111 so police can notify surf lifeguards if the area is in the vicinity of a patrolled beach.”
“And always take something that floats, so you both don’t end up in trouble.”
Manning’s advice about knowing when to stay out of the water altogether was echoed by Water Safety NZ’s Daniel Gerrard.
Gerrard said everyone needed to possess basic water knowledge to be able to make the correct call when conditions meant they shouldn’t be swimming at all.
He also said youngsters needed the basic ability to be able to float in the water, and urged people to pay attention to water safety messages so the necessary behaviour change could be made.
“We live on an island; it’s what we’ve got to be good at,” Gerrard said.
For more information on beach education programmes in Northland, go to Surf Life Saving Northern Region at lifesaving.org.nz.
To learn about beach-specific hazards, go to safeswim.org.nz.
*Amber’s surname has been changed for privacy.
