Tāmaki Makaurau – Around 30 Kiwis, mostly male, will die over the next two months through drowning.
Some might make it to celebrate the festive season with their family, but most won’t get to see the New Year.
It’s on men in Aotearoa guys to look out for their mates, whanau and everyone else out there, Daniel Gerrard, the chief executive of Water Safety New Zealand says.
“No one is planning to become that guy but it’s now or never to make a real effort about being safe in, on, and around water as people enjoy great beaches, lakes, and rivers.
“While these spots become summer playgrounds and pantries, let’s make sure they don’t also become our graves.
“But I promise you it’s only luck and not skill, that you’re still with us today. Last year 90 people drowned 76 were male. Already this year, 70 families have lost a loved one.
More often than not they’re a father, a son, an uncle, a brother or a grandfather. Time after time we continue to make bad decisions around the water. To Pakeha males in power boats, Māori men gathering kai underwater, Asian men fishing from rocks, Pasifika men fishing from boats, you guys are consistently over-represented in our drowning tragedies.
“No one is coming to save you. If you want to get home safely this summer, we need to man up and look after our mates. By knowing the conditions, supervising the kids, wearing a life jacket, and remembering you’re not as good as you were when you were 20.
“ACC remind us to have a hmmmmm. And I agree. Let’s have a hmmm -before we swim, let’s have a hmmm before we jump in. It is the simple difference between life and death.
The 55 plus male cohort is one that appears to be risk takers, shown through drowning fatality numbers. The proportion of incidents over time for the males 55 plus has also increased, possibly indicating that boomers remain more active in their older years than earlier generations.
Older males fatalities and incidents occur largely when boating. It is more likely to be powered boating than sail, oar or paddle craft.
The people involved are more likely to be pakeha and live in the upper North Island. In the majority of boating fatalities, the boat sank or capsized, or the person fell overboard and could not get back on board.
Many incidents were also the person involuntarily entering the water but also included injuries on board the boat. It is not particularly an alcohol problem, it is a lifejacket problem. A total of 77 percent of 55 plus boating fatalities were not wearing a lifejacket correctly.
