Here’s a grim fact to ponder as you gear up to go swimming or boating this summer - New Zealand has one of the highest rates of preventable drowning in the developed world.

In 2023, 90 people drowned in incidents ranging from boats capsizing, to people being overwhelmed by strong rips on surf beaches.

Our beautiful country offers some of the best rivers, lakes, and ocean waterways in the world. But weather conditions can change quickly and an accident can turn a serene pleasure cruise into a nightmare in seconds.

Time is the biggest factor when it comes to responding to emergencies in and around the water, says Water Safety New Zealand’s Chief Executive, Daniel Gerrard.

“If you’re on land and you break your leg or fall down a ravine, there’s a good chance you can wait it out and people will find you,” he explains.

“In the sea, you not only have the risk of hypothermia setting in, but it can be incredibly difficult to find people who have gone overboard or been carried away in strong currents.”

When time means everything

That’s why Gerrard is excited about the debut of One NZ’s satellite-to-mobile service. It will soon allow One NZ customers on an eligible phone plan to send and receive a text message from anywhere they can see the sky, no matter where they are in the country.

Boaties up to 20 kilometres out to sea will also be able to text, even if land-based cellular coverage is non-existent.

Gerrard points to a drowning black spot, Papanui Point near Raglan, a rocky and rugged outcrop that offers some of the region’s best fishing.

“The problem there is that mobile coverage is very patchy, so if someone gets into trouble, they can’t necessarily call for help. So time becomes a crucial factor.”

Our drowning figures typically include one or two deaths at Papanui Point each year. The ability for people fishing on the rocks to send out an SOS via text message could save lives, Gerrard says.

Elsewhere in the country, boaties, kayakers and freshwater fishers are heading into the marine environment with a mobile phone in their pocket, often wrapped in a ziplock bag to keep it waterproof.

While marine radios and emergency position-indicating radio beacons (EPERBs) remain the “gold standard” for communicating in emergencies, the ubiquity of mobile phones makes them an invaluable additional safety tool.

“We get boaties who are too embarrassed to put out a call on Channel 16 asking every boat listening for help,” says Gerrard.

“But they’ll happily contact a friend to come out with their own boat to give them a tow.”

While many stretches of coastal New Zealand receive adequate mobile coverage from cell sites on land, there are many coastal dead zones, particularly around isolated beaches, rivers and lakes.

Connecting boaties further out at sea

Being able to fire off an emergency text or call will not only help river fishers or lake canoeists to request help faster, but with the service available up to 20 kilometres out to sea, it offers an additional lifeline for leisure boaters and commercial vessels alike.

One NZ is currently testing its satellite-to-mobile service, which is provided via Starlink Direct to Mobile satellites optimised to detect signals from a 4G VoLTE mobile phone hundreds of kilometres below on Earth. The ability to send and receive text messages will be the first service available, followed by phone calls and then data transfers.

When voice calling becomes available, One NZ wants to enable 111 emergency calls as well, allowing anyone to make a call regardless of what mobile operator they primarily use.

Our marine environment is subject to severe weather events that can disrupt traditional communication methods. Satellite coverage provides a resilient alternative, ensuring that communication lines remain open even in challenging conditions, such as the massive flooding caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.

Shaking off the ‘she’ll be right’ mindset

Again, time was of the essence. Gerrard sees the ability to communicate from isolated marine areas as one additional weapon in the water safety arsenal that could help lower our drowning statistics.

However, he points out that “personal responsibility”, including taking simple steps like wearing life jackets and planning for changing weather, is crucial to tackling the problem. Of the 2023 drownings, 83% were male.

“There’s a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude, particularly in men aged 55 and over,” Gerrard says.

“I’m nearly in that demographic myself and I love to fish, dive, and get out on the water. With two young sons passionate about the same things, I’m cognizant of the need for them to learn the right things to do,” he adds.

One of Water Safety New Zealand’s key goals is to give the next generation of young New Zealanders the skills and knowledge they need so that by the time they become salty sea dogs, they know exactly how to keep themselves safe.

“On top of that, the ability to send an emergency message from anywhere with line of sight to the sky, or just check in with friends and family is a genuine game changer,” Gerrard concludes.

“A mobile phone never ruined a day on the water. It could just save you from disaster.”

One NZ will announce eligible mobile plans and phones for its satellite-to-mobile service before launch. More information here.