A naked Frenchman should have drowned. Somehow he lived to hug me
Freezing, exhausted and having accepted death. The look on his face is one I won't forget.
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Latest fromWater Safety
One dead after dramatic CPR rescue attempt fails at Whakatāne River
People were seen desperately trying to resuscitate the person.
Youth group leader's impossible call – her own survival or the 10yo she was saving
Woman trying to save drowning boy forced to make one of the hardest decisions of her life.
'Someone was swept out and I felt sick': Lifeguards open up about west coast patrols
"I heard someone had got swept out and I felt sick. I almost went back to vomit."
Children saved from potentially 'deadly' lake
Lake Rotorua is unpredictable and potentially deadly, warn long-term visitors.
Homunga Bay rescue: Coastguard tows boat to safety amid massive chop
There was a "massive amount of chop" making the search for the small boat difficult.
'Dead in water for hours': Man found in Whangamatā harbour identified
Three serious beach incidents occurred this afternoon.
Focus Live: After 2 deaths on Christmas Day alone, Surf Life Saving club captain Max Jones gives his advice for staying safe in the water this summer
Surf Life Saving club captain Max Jones gives his advice for staying safe in the water this summer. Video / NZ Herald
Focus Live: With NZ’s drowning rates one of the worst in the world, 60-year Surf Life Saving veteran Gary Gottlieb tells us his experience, and why Surf Lifeguards need our help too
Focus Live: With NZ’s drowning rates one of the worst in the world, 60-year Surf Life Saving veteran Gary Gottlieb tells us his experience, and why Surf Lifeguards need our help too.
Revealed: The real cost of saving lives at NZ's beaches
Lifeguards pay membership fees and for their own uniforms so they can save lives
'No one is stronger than a rip': How to spot one and what to do
And what to do when you get stuck.
Beach rescue terror: 'I was screaming... I nearly died'
Renae Samson and her partner nearly drowned after ignoring warnings from lifeguards.
10 things that could save your life at the beach this summer
16 people died at the beach last summer, some of whom ignored basic safety rules.
'I started to freak out': What happens when you're caught in a rip
Another couple of minutes after trio caught in a rip may not have survived.
'In less than 10 minutes he would have drowned'
Lifeguard Jimmy Kendrick speaks of saving three lives in one rescue in West Auckland.
Four saved in dramatic Maketū water rescue
"I had a quick look out the window and could see four heads floating."
Why do so many people die at our beaches?
People don't have enough respect for the sea and the result is often deadly.
Fight to save drowned woman's life: 'He did CPR for half an hour'
Tragedy played out over VHF radio.
Our grim toll: Drowning deaths reach four in three days
The water is incredibly inviting and incredibly unforgiving, water safety boss says.
Water safety urged after yacht rescue of pair without radio
The pair were sailing along remote South Island coastline without a Marine VHS radio.
Surf rescue: 'I thought she was gone'
Chaz Gibbons-Campbell desperately searched underwater for girl he was trying to save.
It costs a young lifeguard $50 each time she goes on weekend patrol
Lifeguard knows the dangers all too well after nearly being swept away as a child.
Between The Flags: Draevyn Joyce plucked from the waves
Focus: 12-year-old Draevyn Joyce, who cannot swim, is lucky to be alive after two strangers rescued him after he was swept out to sea at Himitangi Beach. Video / Mark Mitchell
Unfunded lifeguards need your help to save lives this summer
It's costing volunteers lifeguards personally to keep us safe at the beach.
Toddler dies in hospital on Christmas Eve
The 14-month-old's mother found him lying unconscious in their garden.
Beachgoers persistently putting themselves in danger, say surf lifesavers
A dozen people were rescued or helped around Auckland and Northland yesterday.
Man caught in rip dies in Coromandel in the season's third tragic water death
Dramatic attempts to revive the man were unsuccessful.
Christmas Day water chaos: Sharks, orca sightings close Auckland beaches
Several paddleboarders reported seeing 2m-long shark close to shore.
Water tragedy: Second Christmas Day drowning in Northland
A person has drowned near Lake Taharoa in what is the second Christmas Day water death.
'Do not swim' warning: Shark sighted at Orewa Beach
Swimmers urged to avoid Orewa, Red and Hatfields Beaches after shark sighting.
Person dies after beach tragedy at Waipu in Northland
Tragic outcome after swimmer is swept out to sea at Waipu.
'Freak wave': Man killed after being swept into the sea
A man has died after being swept off the rocks.
'Maximum capacity': Malls heaving as shoppers spend
New Zealand's malls are teeming with people in the lead-up to Christmas ... in four days.
New technology able to predict 'drowniest' days of summer
Water Safety New Zealand, who developed the technology, believe it will make a difference.