Chaz Gibbons-Campbell, Surf Life Saving NZ Eastern regional manager, talking about dangerous conditions at Mount Maunganui Beach
Beachgoers are being urged to swim between the flags after 130 people were rescued or assisted to safety by lifeguards on the east coast on Wednesday.
Surf Life Saving NZ’s Eastern Region lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell told the Bay of Plenty Times he had to “triple-check” the number of rescues and assists carried out by the Mount Maunganui lifeguards alone.
“It’s a ridiculously high number, with 39 people rescued and 44 people assisted from the surf by Mount Maunganui lifeguards.”
Gibbons-Campbell said in the Pāpāmoa East area there was also one rescue and three other swimmers assisted to safety, plus four rescues and seven swimmers assisted at Omanu Beach on Wednesday.
He said 75 per cent of those were males aged in their early teens and early 20s, and most were Pākehā.
“The majority of those people were swimming outside our red and yellow flagged areas.
“Most of the rescues at Mount Maunganui were around the Tay St area and near Leisure Island where there is a fixed rip that the lifeguards have dubbed the escalator rip. That’s because it’s like being on a very fast-moving escalator out the back of the surf.
“The escalator rip was just humming [Wednesday] and even people going into the water just before the flagged areas were getting caught in a strong current, and then dragged out to sea.”
Gibbons-Campbell said the conditions were “pretty gnarly” with king tide conditions which saw the part of the beach cut off between Omanu and Tay St so the lifeguards were not able to do their normal roaming patrols.
Surf Lifesaving NZ's Eastern Region's lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell says 39 people were rescued and 44 people assisted from the surf by Mount Maunganui lifeguards on Wednesday. Photo / Mead Norton
“There have also been big swells but most people are getting into difficulties around low tide times of the day and getting caught off guard by the strong undertow and the rips, especially near Leisure Island.
“[On Wednesday] the lifeguards were supposed to finish their patrols by 6pm but due to the sheer number of rescues and the number of people on the beach they carried on for another hour and a half.”
Gibbons-Campbell said Whangamatā lifeguards also had a full-on day with nine rescues and another 26 swimmers assisted on Wednesday.
“This included a mass rescue of six people at the estuary, who at first glance by the lifeguards appeared to be swimming in circles but were actually stuck in a whirlpool.”
A few people also “needed first aid”, including one with a dislocated shoulder and another with a dislocated knee.
“At Pukehina Beach, three people were assisted back to shore after they were dragged out in the estuary towards the bar entrance while sitting on an inflatable raft.”
In total, 51 people were rescued and 79 were assisted in the Surf Life Saving Eastern Region on Wednesday. The region runs along the coast from Hot Water Beach down to Midway, Gisborne.
Gibbons-Campbell said yesterday at Mount Maunganui even before the lifeguards started their patrols four surfers needed rescuing after being spotted by members of the public, one about 300m out from Leisure Island and three others about 200m from the beach.
Because of the thousands of people descending on our beaches and the number of people who have needed rescuing so far this summer Surf Life Saving NZ have brought in extra lifeguards, Gibbons-Campbell said.
“But it’s still a very big coastline to patrol and we cannot be everywhere, especially if people choose to swim outside the flags and not follow our safety warnings.
“It’s so lucky that we’re not talking about a fatality. Fortunately, most of those rescued and assisted [on Wednesday] were able to be medically accessed on the beach and sent on their way.”
Mount Maunganui paid lifeguard Will Rowland visiting from Manchester rescued two children not swimming between the flags on Wednesday. Photo / Mead Norton
Mount Maunganui paid lifeguard Will Rowland, 19, visiting from Manchester, England, is spending his first summer in New Zealand helping keep an eagle eye out for beachgoers.
Rowland had two rescues under his belt after he rescued two children aged 10 or 11 years caught in a rip while swimming just outside the flagged area near Leisure Island on Wednesday.
“There were actually three children in the group and one of the other lifeguards went out in an IRB to rescue the third swimmer.”
Rowland will return home to Manchester on Monday for an interview to train as a doctor at a local medical school before returning to Mount Maunganui on January 10 to resume his patrol duties.
“It’s really great to be here and nice to be able to say I rescued two people and helped to educate a number of others who could have got into difficulties. But it is disappointing that so many people are not swimming between the flags.”
Elsewhere, 33 people needed assistance from lifesavers at Bethells Beach in Auckland on Wednesday, prompting Surf Life Saving Northern Region chief executive Matt Williams to urge parents and caregivers to keep a close watch on children in the water and on the beach.
“Please don’t overestimate your ability or your children’s ability to cope in the conditions. They should be within an arm’s reach – our tamariki are particularly susceptible to strong currents, and with all the water we have seen moving about they can quickly be swept away.
“Secondly, always swim between the flags, and educate your children about the importance of swimming between the flags. It’s up to all of us to lead by example.
“We know beaches are especially dangerous with king tides and large swells, and this is already stretching lifeguard services across the country. It is all the more important for parents and caregivers to play their part.”
