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This year's holiday period drowning toll is 12 people, including young Warriors star and South Auckland local Sonny Fai - who is yet to be found but is presumed drowned off West Auckland's Bethells Beach.
Water Safety New Zealand general manager Matt Claridge said the biggest factor in the country's "drowning issue" was that many people did not know how to swim.
"Learning to swim is the best way to prevent drownings," he said. "For a lot of people, barriers such as access to pools, transport and pool costs are preventing kids from learning how to swim - and that's not fair. Swimming is a life skill that everyone should have."
Free Whanau Nui Family Swim water safety and water confidence lessons are being offered to Manukau residents this month.
Families will get five lessons teaching children and their parents how to stay safe in the water, the importance of supervision, and survival and swimming skills.
Otara Leisure Centre manager Mike Ibbertson said: "We're surrounded by water and kids need to know how to swim."
