Andy Cleave, born and bred in Hawaii, grew up surrounded by water: swimming and surfing almost every day. Like many parents he was excited to share his love of all things aquatic with his son Neko as he raised him up around the aquatic playground of Auckland. Neko was a confident and competent water-baby until a non-fatal drowning incident a few years ago at a local community pool.
During a moment of distraction, Andy did not see Neko, then six years old, follow an older child into the deeper end of the pool. Suddenly, Neko was going under the water with his arms above his head, desperately trying to push off the bottom of the pool with his feet.
“I rushed to him so fast and beat the lifeguard who was closer to him,” Andy says.
The incident had a significant and long lasting impact on Neko and his attitude to water.
“It was really traumatic for while,” Andy explains. “He had been confident before but afterwards that confidence was gone. He would not go back in the water, in a pool or at the beach or even fishing. We went from going to the pools almost every weekend to not going at all.”
“I was really worried about it because I wanted him to enjoy water, especially as he got older, and I didn’t want him to miss out on doing things in the water with his friends.”
Six years later, Neko’s grandfather came across Drowning Prevention Auckland’s SPLASH holiday programme and Neko, with much hesitation, signed up at West Wave Pools this past April.
The Year Eight Rangeview Intermediate student loved the water competency course, learning a range of different water survival skills such as propulsion through the water, safe entry and exits, survival strokes and lifejacket use.
“The staff and the environment was so positive for him” Andy says. “No one talked down to him, they taught him on his level and made him feel more confident. They were able to push him and encourage him at his level. I wish I had done this course sooner”
Neko was named Most Improved Student at the end of the course and his dad has already noticed the impact of this. “He feels like he can now go in the deep end and not drown, he is so much more confident. Taking him to SPLASH is one of the best things I’ve ever done for my child.”
Neko is now a keen soccer player, representing Auckland at various age groups, but after the SPLASH programme he’s now feeling ready to swap the football field for the odd trip to the beach with his dad again this summer
