A former South Auckland man has described watching his friend escape from the jaws of a great white shark while surfing in California.

Partygoers will be swapping their sunglasses and sunblock for umbrellas and rain jackets to see in the New Year as the brilliant weather that has brightened the holidays looks set to pass.

A body recovery operation for a 16-year-old boy who was swept out to sea in Northland on Saturday afternoon is being launched today.

Police have named three people who have died in water-related accidents so far this holiday season.

Family members of a missing teenager were keeping an emotional vigil on a Northland beach last night - the latest incident in a horror start to the holiday season in the water.

The woman, in her 20s, fell down a steep cliff and into the river below, striking her head on the way down.

As thousands of holidaymakers get set to hit the beach and boaties prepare to launch, warnings are being issued about staying safe.

The search for a Warkworth fisherman who has been missing for more than a week is continuing.

Maritime safety agencies and police will be out in force at launching ramps and jetties over Labour weekend to explain Auckland Council's new rules on wearing life jackets in small boats.

As inaugural Safer Boating Week kicks off, boaties are being reminded how quickly things could go wrong.

As thousands of Kiwis prepare their boats to make a splash over summer, fishing expert Nicky Sinden has urged boaties to ensure their journeys don't sink before their vessels even hit the water.

The Ice Water Challenge, where participants are doused with a bucket of ice cold water, is potentially fatal - even without alcohol, a doctor warns.

Surf lifesavers carried out nearly 40 per cent fewer rescues over summer compared with the year before, a figure attributed to unpredictable weather.

A baby critically injured in a crash near Kopaki, Waikato, this morning was unrestrained on its mother's lap when the car hit a bank.

A father saw his daughters' faces flash before him as he risked his life, diving into the surf to save two girls caught in a rip at a Hawkes Bay beach yesterday.

A surf boat crew will stage a symbolic row down Auckland's North Shore tomorrow, as they prepare for a commemorative international race in Turkey next year.

Exclusive: When 5-year-old Tre-Vaughn Dysart saw his classmate slip underwater his instincts kicked in.