Editorial: Swimmers must weigh up the risks

Among the events that define a New Zealand summer is the Ocean Swim series. Like marathons on land, these long-distance swims provide something for everyone. At the sharp end are elite athletes who are in serious competition for prize money. At the other end are the many thousands of ordinary people who are not so much challenging each other as challenging themselves.

For these people completing an ocean swim is enough. A memorable individual achievement. A celebration of the Kiwi summer.

But there can be a tragic side to these events, as we saw last weekend when 57-year-old Tony Kelly collapsed and died during the 2.8km Harbour Crossing swim. What added to the sense of tragedy was the acknowledgement that Mr Kelly's death was the fifth in the Ocean Swim series in the past five years.

Clearly there is a significant element of risk in the challenge which is not to be taken lightly. "We think we have had more than our fair share of fatalities," said Surf Life Saving chief executive Geoff Barry.

Mr Barry has promised an investigation into the causes to see what, if anything, is to be learned about the causes and whether safety can be improved.

One obvious answer seems to be that all the deaths were middle-aged to elderly men, suggesting there may have been underlying and undetected health problems. Mr Kelly's friends and family have ruled this out in his case. By all reports he was in good health and fitness.

Another suggestion is that the stress of the start, when the water is crowded, may not matter to elite athletes who are used to it but may cause less experienced swimmers some distress. Again, this does not explain the latest fatality which happened at the half-way mark. Yet another is that wetsuits might be to blame because they keep the body warm when it is trying to cool down.

Each of these suggested causes implies its own measure for making the ocean swims safer and it is well and good that the organisers should have a serious look at them.

But they need to keep their efforts in perspective and not over-analyse the evidence. Everyone who enters the swim must recognise that it is as physically arduous as running a marathon but with the water providing an extra dimension of risk. If they follow the advice of the organisers and join a training group they should be aware of the risks and know how to prepare themselves properly.

They can also have confidence that the organisers have made extensive preparations in case anyone gets into trouble. No fewer that 58 qualified lifeguards were on hand last Saturday and they had St John Ambulance standing by as well.

It is hard to see how much more the organisers can or should do. If it turns out that underlying health issues are the main reason for these deaths, then obviously a recommendation that swimmers should have a check-up might be useful. Similarly, advice about wetsuits would be worthwhile if they turn out to have played some demonstrable role in what happened. There may even be some merit in finding a way to ease congestion at the start of the swim.

But the proviso to all of this is that ultimately it is up to individuals to acquaint themselves with the risks and to make sure they are prepared and capable of undertaking the challenge. Preparation should include ocean swimming in conditions as choppy as are likely to be encountered with so many fellow swimmers around.

And entrants should give themselves a safe taste of what it may be like to cope with exhaustion in an environment where there is no place to rest. With the advice and assistance they already receive from the organisers, most will make the right choice knowing an ocean swim can never be completely risk-free.