A Samoan-New Zealand lifeguard is encouraging Pasifika to take up swimming lessons in the wake of a report highlighting their over-representation in drowning statistics.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand s Beach & Coastal Safety Report show Pasifika, Māori and Asians are over-represented in drowning figures.
Photo: Surf Life Saving New Zealand
On average, 36 people drown every year on New Zealand s coastlines, the report found.
Most drownings occurred on non-lifeguarded beaches or outside of patrol hours, and 87 percent of victims were male.
SLSNZ chief executive Paul Dalton said per capita, although not overall, Māori and Pacific people were over-represented in the figures.
Beach and coastal drownings in New Zealand up 18pc in past five years
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New Zealand s drowning statistics are getting worse, not better
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