Drowning Prevention Auckland Receives Funding to Create 5 New Lifejacket Hubs

Westhaven, Auckland – Drowning Prevention Auckland has been successful in receiving funding for five lifejacket hubs from Maritime NZ.

Auckland is very much surrounded by water environments and a large number of Aucklanders and visitors make use of our water environments. With that; Auckland sadly has the highest number of drownings in the country as it has the highest population. We need to continue our education, collaboration and equipping Aucklander’s and visitors with the right equipment and knowledge to bring the drowning toll down.

Our lifejacket hub project supports strong organisations and clubs to make a difference in reducing drownings. Together we can make lifejackets available to the community through the hubs located around the Auckland region.

The lifejacket hubs will be located in various parts of Auckland. such as boats clubs, surf clubs and community venues where they also support the community for easy accessibility to all Aucklanders.  Through these lifejacket hubs we can get  key water safety and boating safety messages out and known to all.

This funding will setup five lifejacket hubs in the Auckland region in the following authorities: Rodney District, Waitakere, Auckland City, Franklin District and Manukau City. Each lifejacket hub will have 70 child and adult sized lifejackets available to the community. These lifejackets will equip a large number of Aucklander’s and visitors with lifejackets as needed on boats 6m and under and other water craft.

As Maritime NZ says: “Lifejackets are essential for all recreational activities on the water”. “Each year on average, 19 or 20 people die in recreational boating accidents in New Zealand. Research shows that not wearing a lifejacket is the leading risk factor”.

By having the lifejacket hubs; we want to equip people with a lifejacket when going out onto the water and we want to take the risk factor away and bring down the drowning toll.

Our main aim with this project is to educate and equip the people or groups with the right equipment and key water safety education before they head out onto the water.

For further questions, please contact: samantha@dpanz.org.nz

Press Release: Drowning Prevention Auckland to present at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention

Westhaven, Auckland – Drowning Prevention Auckland has had seven abstracts accepted for the upcoming World Conference on Drowning Prevention 8^th – 10^th October in Durban, South Africa.

This biennial conference brings together the world’s leading experts, research, systems and information on drowning prevention, rescue, lifesaving and water safety. The exchange, debate and development are designed to find ways to reduce death and injury in all aquatic environments worldwide.

Drowning Prevention Auckland is excited to present the following abstracts at this prominent conference:

• Aquatic education in New Zealand schools; a sustainable approach for life-long learning.
• Teaching 15 water competencies in a water safety intervention through eLearning.
• Older, wiser, riskier? Perceptions of water competency and drowning risk among older adults.
• What is the difference? – Perceived and actual adult water competence in open water
• Online learning for developing Water Competence.

Drowning Prevention Auckland will be represented by our esteemed Research Officer: Teresa Stanley and Aquatic Educator: Lynley Stewart. They have both been working at the organisation and in the sector for many years and are abundantly experienced.

Drowning Prevention Auckland’s Chief Executive, Davin Bray, says that the upcoming World Conference on Drowning Prevention is a great platform to present what we have been researching and implementing for the past two years, and what we plan on doing in the future. We find ourselves leading the way in how we educate and communicate to prevent drownings. It is great to see our hard work getting recognised. Also invaluable is the opportunity to learn, bring back ideas to implement to ensure we continue to deliver best practice.

More information can be found at: www.dpanz.org.nz

For further questions, please contact: samantha@dpanz.org.nz

Mid Winter Forum

When: 4.00pm – 6.00pm, Monday 1st July 2019.
Where: 85 Westhaven Drive, Westhaven, Auckland. 

Agenda: 

4.00pm: Arrival (Tea & Coffee)

4.15pm: Welcome and Update on DPA e-Learning 

4.25pm: Pania Elliott from Auckland Council
Navigational Safety Bylaw 2014 Review

4.35pm: Stacey Pidgeon from RLSS Australia
 Utilising models and frameworks to assess drowning risk
and to guide prevention strategies

5.05pm: Teresa Stanley from Drowning Prevention Auckland
Are older adults at increased risk of drowning?

5.25pm: Dr Kevin Moran from Drowning Prevention Auckland
Can you get in (safely)?

5.45pm: Panel / Questions

6.00pm: Refreshments

Kevin Moran in the NZ Listener Magazine

Our very own Kevin Moran contributed to this NZ Listener article this month. Have a read.

How to stay water safe this summer

Westhaven, Auckland – Drowning Prevention Auckland, the lead agency for water safety coordination and education in the Auckland region, wants to share its four main messages to remember this summer.

Sadly, in 2017 22 people died in preventable drowning incidents in Auckland, double that of 2016. Most (68%) of the drownings in Auckland were male, and almost a quarter (23%) each were aged 15-24 years and over 65 years. 

Over half (55%) of the drownings were immersion incidents where people hadn’t intended being in the water. The highest environmental risk in Auckland is beaches where almost one quarter (23%) of drownings occurred. The rate of drowning in the Auckland region at (1.7 per capita) remains one of the lowest in the country. [1]

There have been 12 preventable* drowning deaths in Auckland in the year to December 7, 2018, as per the Water Safety New Zealand report.

Our vision is an Auckland, free from drowning, achieved through the development of water competence and changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours around water.

The four main messages we suggest all Aucklander’s remember this summer are:

1. Don’t putyour life on the line, wear a LIFEJACKET.
   Lifejackets are essential for all recreational activities on the water. Everyone on board a boat 6 metres and under should wear a lifejacket. Make sure the lifejacket fits you correctly. Adults wearing lifejackets in front of the children sets a good example.
   
   
2. Reach me, See me, Hear me.
   Active supervision of children at all times is crucial to prevent drownings from happening. Active supervision means children are within sight and reach and the supervisor isn’t distracted. Add other layers of protection such as pool fences and gates or eliminating the risk by emptying paddling pools after use.
   Chief executive of Drowning Prevention Auckland, Davin Bray has said “drowning is silent – there is no splash or scream to alert you. As a father I know how quickly things can happen with children, who are inquisitive and naturally drawn to water”.
   
   
3. Don’t underestimate the risks, don’t overestimate your ability
   Know your limits. Don’t assume your level of competence in the pool is the same in moving, cold open water.
   
   
4. 4Rs Bystander Rescue = Recognise, Respond, Rescue,Revive.
   Recognise: Drowning occurs quietly so its important to recognise when someone is in trouble. Look for signs of distress,like they can’t swim or they look afraid or like they are struggling. Shout“Are you ok”. Ask yourself how you think you can help. Also think, how can others help.
   Respond: If the person needs help, provide flotation. Send for help, get someone to call 111 and ask for police.
   Rescue: Rescuing from land is the safest. Getting in the water puts the rescuer at risk of drowning themselves. If there is no other option, remember to take a flotation aid. Stay clear of the person – a drowning person can easily drag you under. Often reassurance and encouragement to kick, float on their back or swim to safety can work.
   Revive: Provide care to rescued person. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally start CPR. If breathing, keep airway clear and put in recovery position. Stay until help arrives. Ensure the person gets medical attention.

For further questions, please contact: samantha@dpanz.org.nz

[1] WSNZ (2018). Drownbase. New Zealand and Auckland Region Preventable and Non Preventable Drowning Fatalities 2013-2017.

Press Release: Drowning Prevention Auckland launches brand new website and a New Zealand first eLearning platform

06/12/2018

Westhaven, Auckland – Drowning Prevention Auckland with 360 New Zealand’s expertise have developed a New Zealand first eLearning platform for water safety and have updated their website. The online programme allows participants to learn about the basic water competencies from anywhere in the world, free of charge.

The aim of our eLearning platform is to increase the understanding and knowledge of water safety, as well as assist in the development of practical skills, within the community, workplace and school. Participants can acquaint themselves with competencies before practising in a pool or open water. The area of focus for this online programme has enormous potential as it is designed to suit a range of participants.  The current eLearning programme is designed for teenagers, adults, parents and educators.

We captured video footage in three separate water environments – controlled water, open water and moving water. The eLearning platform has modules relating to the unique 15 water competencies as per research conducted by Stallman, R.K., Moran, K., Quan, L., & Langendorfer, S. (2017). Learners can complete a variety of tasks within each module. The tasks have student activities, teaching resources and videos that demonstrate the competency.

The interactive platform allows for sustainable learning, overall consistency of education and a free online tool accessible to all.

The eLearning platform is a sustainable form of aquatic education accessible to many people; whilst not replacing practical learning. It is another tool that aids in drowning prevention education. Drowning Prevention Auckland will continue to develop this online learning experience by including further resources and guides that link to the 15 water competencies.

Drowning Prevention Auckland’s Chief Executive; Davin Bray says that the eLearning platform has been a lot of work in the making and is glad that it has culminated in a New Zealand first. He continues to say there are so many benefits to the platform including the fact that we can educate so many more people with our consistent messages.

For further questions, please contact: samantha@dpanz.org.nz