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A former Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer has been chosen to head a group dedicated to reducing the number of drownings and water-related injuries in New Zealand.
Professor David Gerrard, now a sports medicine expert at the Dunedin School of Medicine, is the first independent chairman for the Drowning Prevention Council.
Accident Compensation Corporation's general manager for injury prevention Katie Sadleir said on average 130 people drown in New Zealand each year, while 650 are hospitalised as a result of water-related injuries.
The council was made up of government and non-government organisations and was set up to spearhead the government's Drowning Prevention Strategy, which was focused on reducing the drowning record, Ms Sadleir said.
- NZPA
