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Holiday Season is the Drowning Season
'Holiday season is the drowning season,' stated Water Safety New Zealand before Christmas, and sadly this holiday season has stayed true to form. Ten people drowned over the 2007/2008 Christmas-New Year period, which runs from the 24th of December to the 3rd of January. This is the highest number in 4 years, with an average of more than one drowning per day.
Matt Claridge, Water Safety’s General Manager, recognises that the summer holiday break is the time of year people are most likely to drown. Holiday-makers, enjoying time off work and warmer weather, engage in recreational activity in the water, which is often an unfamiliar environment. This surge in aquatic recreation means the holiday period is the highest risk period of the year for drowning.
However, not all the statistics are bad for 2007, with the overall downwards trend in drowning statistics continuing. In 2007, there were 110 drowning deaths which is the second lowest annual toll since 1981 and is below the average drowning toll for the last ten years (126).
Nevertheless, drowning is the third highest cause of accidental death in New Zealand, sitting behind only road crashes and falls. Also, compared to other countries we have a very high rate of drowning. The World Drowning Report, released recently by the International Life Saving Federation, ranks New Zealand as having the third highest rate of drowning in the world.
Maori and Pacific people are often 'over represented' in the drowning statistics. Of the 10 deaths over the holiday period, 7 were Maori or Pacific people (70%), and of the 110 deaths in 2007, 40 were Maori or Pacific people (36%). Claridge believes the large proportion of Maori and Pacific deaths indicates how important it is to have specific drowning preventing strategies for these at-risk ethnic groups.
However, the high risk of drowning doesn't mean you can't have fun in the water - simply keeping some basic things in mind could save you, your family and your friends. One of the most important drowning prevention activities is supervision – Claridge stresses that parents and caregivers must 'Supervise children near water, ALWAYS!'
For more information on drowning prevention and learning to swim, have a look at the following websites:
Water Safety NZ Maori Water Safety NZ Swim for Life The Drowning Prevention StrategyAll information included in this article is from the above websites.
