Community Scoop » Wai Ora Aotearoa 2025 – The Roadmap To Reduce Preventable Drownings scoop.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scoop.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Thursday, 11 March 2021, 5:19 pm
Introducing Wai ora Aotearoa: Navigating to a safer
future. New Zealand Water Safety Sector Strategy 2025 –
the water safety sectors collective approach to ensure
everyone connects to and enjoys the water safely.
This
is a significant event – As the lead agency Water Safety
New Zealand (WSNZ) has been working with the wider sector to
develop a collaborative approach to reduce drowning
fatalities and injuries in Aotearoa/New Zealand over the
next five years.
“Achieving this vision will address
the drowning problem in our country,” says WSNZ Board
Chair Maurice Kidd. “As New Zealanders and visitors, we
enjoy some of the most magnificent waterways in the world.
• Be prepared
• Be aware of the dangers
• Know your
limits
“Things can change quickly when you are out
on the water or fishing, diving or swimming. It’s really
important everyone is aware of the risks and aware of their
own limits,” says spokesperson Sheridan Bruce.
So
far in 2021 there have been ten preventable drowning
fatalities in 2021 compared to 11 at the same time last
year.
Over the Waitangi long weekend in 2017 five
people lost their lives in preventable drowning incidents.
“That was a weekend of tragedy leaving five families and
communities devastated. We urge everyone to take a moment to
Thursday, 28 January 2021, 12:57 pm
Despite being in lockdown for part of 2020 New Zealand’s provisional drowning toll is only just below the five year average.
The provisional preventable drowning toll for 2020 is 74 (the five year average 2015 -2019 is 81). Drowning is the leading cause of recreational death and the third highest cause of accidental death in New Zealand.
“Every one of these preventable fatalities leaves a family and a community devastated,” says spokesperson Sheridan Bruce.
The COVID-19 level 4 lockdown ran between March 25 and April 27 with boaties ordered out of the water until level 2 on May 13. In 2020 Boating/Paddling fatalities are down at 10 from 19 in 2019, noting however that there’s also been a large increase in water related recreational sales as New Zealanders flocked to the water and enjoyed domestic tourism.