Pre-school drownings on the rise

Nine pre-schoolers have drowned so far this year in New Zealand. File photo / Thinkstock

People are being urged be vigilant when young children are around water after nine pre-schoolers have drowned so far this year.

Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) today released July figures which showed four people drowned.

The annual toll now stands at 71, which is 16 more than at the same time last year.

Of those who drowned in July, two were trainee divers Daniel Stoneham and Tyrone North who died in Auckland's Lake Pupuke, one was a kayaker and one was a pre-schooler who drowned in a home environment.

WSNZ general manager Matt Claridge said the pre-schooler's death was avoidable and young children needed to be constantly supervised when they were around water. The child was the ninth pre-school aged drowning victim this year, exceeding the average over the last five years of eight pre-school drownings across the whole year.

Lack of supervision was a common factor in almost all pre-school drownings, Mr Claridge said.

"Constant supervision without distraction is of paramount importance but so is being alert to the identification and removal of potential hazards.

"A child can drown in water as little as four centimetres deep," he said.

In the last five years there was an average of eight pre-school drownings across the whole year

Mr Claridge said the death of the kayaker, who was not wearing a life jacket, was also avoidable.

The investigation in to the deaths of the divers was yet to be completed, he said.

- NZPA