This scholarship is attached to a Water Safety New Zealand funded study that is focused on understanding how different factors contribute to drowning risk for different individuals and groups and aims to ensure the water safety sector can:
- design interventions that will result in meaningful change to a person’s behaviour that will lower their drowning risk
- target interventions at the individuals who we have identified as at highest risk of drowning.
Water Safety New Zealand are interested in research in relation to targeted communities or groups who have a specific risk profile. Therefore, research on risk should be considered within the context of the specific environment or communities of interest.
Communities of Interest
For the purposes of this research, Water Safety New Zealand are interested in research on People and Prevention within the Auckland or Northland region. The research topic should include one of the following communities of interest:
People
- Males aged 45+ with an emphasis in Northland on males aged 65+ years
- Pacific People
- Maori
- New migrants, tourists and visitors to New Zealand
Environments
- Salt water environments Beaches, Offshore and Tidal waters
- Home pools
Activities
- Immersion incidents (incidents where the deceased never intended on getting into the water),
- Powered boats, swimming and underwater activities (diving) are the most common activities.
The research project will be supervised by Dr Denise Atkins – Email: denise.atkins@aut.ac.nz and Dr Matt Barker email: mbarker@aut.ac.nz – School of Sport and Recreation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria as set out in the Scholarship Regulations and apply online via the application portal available from the AUT Scholarships database www.aut.ac.nz/scholarships
Closing date: 18 January 2019
Our Water Safety Champion Awards, recognising organisations, community groups and individuals that have demonstrated commitment, initiative and leadership in the ‘championing’ of water safety education in the Auckland region. This could include delivering water safety education, creating or implementing solutions that address specific behaviours or problems, or raise awareness around a specific drowning issue.
Congratulations to all that got nominated, were finalists and winners of the Water Safety Champion Awards this year.
Individual Water Safety Champion
Finalists
- David Zhu
In this past year David has contributed to water safety in the following ways:
– Collaborated with DPA on various water safety programs and presentations focussed the North Shore Chinese community. These presentations included Rock Fishing seminars, mum and kids water safety workshops, learn to surf and he helped us deliver our west coast experience to Chinese youth.
– David also helped us interpreting to the Chinese community
- Gill Bloxham
Gill has been instrumental in improving both her students at Rutherford college’s knowledge and understanding about water safety but also the community.
In order to get the school pool used more she also asked DPA to train her junior sports committee so she could use both junior and senior sports committee members to supervise free swimming at lunchtimes at the school.
Gill has been instrumental in a number of her students getting qualified with their PLPC during the school holidays through the Gateway programme. All in the hopes of making opening the school pool to the community over the summer months a possibility and using students as lifeguards to lead this.
- Kaleb Cave
Kaleb is the Manukau Cruising Clubs new Fishing Captain this year and he comes with a passion at getting kids outdoors with their families and into fishing .
Kaleb’s key message is keeping our tamariki safe , healthy and happy and is a champion in promoting water safety around land based fishing .
He is also actively promotes water safety in his land based fishing excursions with adult groups.
- Geoffrey Bray
Sgt Geoff Bray of the NZ Police National Dive Squad has been active in drowning prevention for over eight years.
He spends a huge amount of his personal time volunteering assisting charities and community members with river safety training. You can find him on his days off helping out at Vector Wero, giving advice to staff and to other stakeholders across the region.
He also is on the global board (voluntary) for the International Technical Rescue Association and an instructor for this organisation. He is active in talking to fellow divers about diver safety which actively contributes to drowning prevention.
Winner: Geoffrey Bray
Community Water Safety Champion
Finalists
- AUT Millennium
AUT Millennium is one of the biggest providers of water safety education in Auckland. Our Schools Water Safety, Waterwise and Learn to Swim Programmes are predominantly populated by local North Shore schools, and the School EOTC Activity Days, which includes the Water Safety programme, is extended to schools across wider Auckland.
They are the largest provider of Coastguards “Safe Boating Program” in NZ
- John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams
Established in 2008 Community Swim has provided over 1,000,000 free swim lessons throughout primary schools in Auckland South. The goal of the Community Swim Programme is to enable all children to develop the basic life skill of swimming and to realize the opportunities that await them when the door to the world of aquatics is opened. Community Swim takes away barriers teachers and schools face in providing basic yet essential swimming and water safety skills. Students are picked up from school in the Community Swim buses and driven to one of our pools in south and east Auckland, where they receive seven swimming lessons.
- Harbour Sport
Harbour Sports ActivAsian program has contributed to water safety in the Auckland region in a number of ways in the past year.
Collaborated with DPA on various water safety programs and presentations focussed the North Shore Chinese community. These presentations included Rock Fishing seminars, mum and kids water safety workshops, learn to surf and he helped us deliver our west coast experience to Chinese youth.
They have also helped us interpreting to the Chinese community
- Manukau Cruising Club
The Manukau Cruising Club promote water safety consistently. The club is not only advocates but influencer’s in making a difference in sailing, boating, fishing and other water activities.
There key initiatives are:
– Water Safety Knowledge
– Understanding Risk
– Survival Skills
– Parents Improving their knowledge
– Ensuring Life Jackets are a key component for safety in our water activities
– Supporting water safety initiatives
Winner: Manukau Cruising Club
Long Service Water Safety Champion
Finalists
- Karla McCaughan
Karla has been involved in the aquatics industry for 30 years. She lives and breathes swimming and water safety and is passionate about drowning prevention, especially in the Under-5 age group. She has developed several programmes that work towards achieving zero drowning in this age group by the year 2020. She recently entered into a partnership with Plunket Auckland with the goal of providing free basic water safety education to all Auckland preschoolers. To date, they have delivered to over 75,000 children, with a target of 100,000 by the end of 2017. In 2000 she established a boutique Swim School called Little Dippers that has successfully taught over 20,000 Northland children to swim
- Ian Ferguson
Ian Ferguson is a household name, thanks to his impressive Olympic gold winning endeavours at Kayaking. What is not so well recognised, was his dream and passion in creating Vector Wero whitewater park. Now retired, he can be proud of this legacy of this world class facility. It would be nice to see him recognised for his significant contribution to creating a space that actively reduces drowning through education.
Winner: Ian Ferguson
There has been 12 preventable* drowning deaths in Auckland in the year to November 27, 2020, reports Water Safety New Zealand.
There were 17 preventable* drowning deaths in Auckland in the 2019 year, reports WSNZ.
There were 13 preventable* drowning deaths in Auckland in the 2018 year; reports WSNZ. 79% of these preventable drownings were male. 21% were 15-24 year olds and 36% of them were from the 65+ age group. 64% of these drownings were at beaches.
In 2017 22 people died in preventable drowning incidents in Auckland, double that of the 2016 number. 68% of the drownings in Auckland are males and 23% each from the 15-24 age group and the 65+ age group.
Immersion incidents had the highest activity drowning percentage at 55%. Beaches had the highest environmental percentage at 23%. The rate of drowning in the Auckland region at (1.7 per capita) remains one of the lowest in the country.
The sun may be out but don’t be fooled into thinking conditions are safe, Auckland’s rock fishing safety task force warns fishers as they head out to take advantage of the long weekend and break in the weather to go fishing at their favourite west coast spot.
“We appeal also to the families of the [mainly] men who fish off the rocks to urge their fathers, husbands and sons to act responsibly, especially around wearing a lifejacket, so they get home safely at the end of the day,” says Davin Bray, Chief Executive, Drowning Prevention Auckland.
There remains a significant risk attached to west coast rock fishing, a risk that is heightened when a big surf is running, all it takes is one rogue wave to dislodge a person, says Surf Life Saving Northern Region Operations Manager Adam Wooler.
“Wearing a lifejacket may mean the difference between life and death, and every incident on the rocks doesn’t just put the person in the water at risk – it also poses a risk to others trying to assist them, including our lifeguards,” he says.
The arrival of summer and holidays has seen a surge in numbers fishing off the rocks and the task force has been carrying out campaign activities to raise awareness about the risks involved, including Rock Fishing Safety Advisor ‘Rockman’ Sam Turbott who, along with jet ski driver Willy Goer, cruises the coastline gathering data on fisher activity, surveying fishers and passing on valuable safety advice.
“Thanks to the support of Dunedin company TracPlus who loaned us a GPS tracking device, we are able to geo-reference the rock fishing hotspots and help keep Sam safe by knowing where he is at all times,” says Adam.
Drowning Prevention Auckland, Surf Life Saving Northern Region and Auckland Council are partners in a joint task force aimed at reducing fatalities among the fisher population on Auckland’s unpredictable and wild west coast.
“Our joint campaign has made a significant impact on reducing the number of drownings and influencing behaviour change. However, there is more work to do as some fishers continue to place themselves at risk by choosing not to wear a lifejacket, which could ultimately save their life. The west coast is a dynamic environment that requires respect in order to stay safe,” says Auckland Council’s Parks, Sports & Recreation Manager Mace Ward.
Ends
For further information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Drowning Prevention Auckland: Davin Bray, 021 681 503, davin.bray@dpanz.org.nz
SLSNR: Ron Murray, Wright Communications, 027 807 7354 ron@wrightcommunications.co.nz
Auckland Council: Emily Thorn, Publicity Specialist, 021 732 353 emily.thorn@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
Background
The West Coast Rock Fishing Safety project has been in place 12 years, during which time drowning fatalities have reduced to less than one per annum. The annual project survey report, authored by Auckland University researcher and Drowning Prevention Auckland Board Member Dr Kevin Moran, offers an insight on to the impact of this collaborative intervention. During the 2016-2017 season, 211 rock-fishers were interviewed on their thoughts and habits around rock-fishing risks and precautions. It showed that 24% of those interviewed didn’t “often” or “always” use a lifejacket on the rocks, with no change from 2016 (24%), but dramatically down on the 40% in 2015. This is of concern. Positively, there was almost a four-fold increase in fishers sometimes wearing a lifejacket, (41%, 2017; 11%, 2016), and fishers reporting they never wore a lifejacket dropped by almost 50% (37%, 2017; 65%, 2016). Read Dr Moran’s 2017 report.
Safety advice for rock fishers
- Wear a lifejacket – this offers the best chance of survival should you fall in the water.
- Wear light, warm clothing and sport shoes – not gumboots.
- Check the swell, weather and tide forecast before choosing your fishing location.
- Avoid getting cut off by an incoming tide, plan an escape route.
- Keep your eyes on the sea, be prepared to climb to safety.
- Fish with someone who has fishing experience and knows the site well.
- Follow the advice of safety signs and warnings.
- Know who and how to get help in an emergency, carry a mobile, call 111.
- Tell someone where you are going and when you will return.
- If someone falls in the water:
- Pick up an angel ring or flotation device
- Throw it to the person in the water
- Call 111 for police, report your location and emergency. Send someone to find help, a lifeguard.
Joint media release: Drowning Prevention Auckland and Auckland Swimming Association
It’s not rocket science; preventing your child from drowning is as simple as putting your device away and focusing your attention on them, say Drowning Prevention Auckland and Auckland Swimming Association in a call out to families making plans for the long weekend.
“In the seconds it takes for you to post on Facebook or Instagram, tragedy could strike.”
Seven children aged under five years drowned in New Zealand last year, more than double the previous year, and sadly all too preventable.
“Children are attracted to water and whether it’s pool, beach or bath, the number one solution is active supervision by an adult at all times,” says Davin Bray, Chief Executive, Drowning Prevention Auckland.
“For under-5s that means being within sight and reach, without distraction, and for older ones knowing where they are and what they are doing,” adds Brett Green, Chief Executive Officer, Auckland Swimming Association.
“At social gatherings around water we suggest having a responsible adult actively on duty as the ‘water watcher’ while others are busy with organising food or other activities and no, that’s not the lifeguard’s job.”
Being able to see where older children are, what the water is doing and how to prevent them getting in to difficulty in the first place, will also help avoid a repeat of recent drownings as result of attempted rescues by parents.
Swimming lessons can give parents a false sense of security, even competent swimmers can get in to difficulty, says Brett.
“If faced with this situation, we urge anyone to take the time to assess the risks and their own level of water competency, and only enter the water if they have some form of flotation with them.”
To date, Auckland has had a drowning free 2018, and that’s the way Drowning Prevention Auckland and Auckland Swimming Association would like it to stay.
For further information and interviews:
Davin Bray
Chief Executive
Drowning Prevention Auckland
M: 021 681 503
E: davin.bray@dpanz.org.nz
Brett Green
Chief Executive Officer
Auckland Swimming Association
M: 021 553 233
We have great pleasure in announcing the finalists in the inaugural Drowning Prevention Auckland ‘Water Safety Champion Awards 2017’. Our heartiest congratulations to all the finalists, winners will be announced at the our AGM, 4pm-6pm, Thursday 30 November 2017.
Individual Water Safety Champion
- Tenga Schwalger-Teura (The Fono); and
- Ron Bird (Waterfront Services).
Community Water Safety Champion
- YMCA;
- Belgravia Leisure; and
- Swimsation Swim Schools.
Long Service Water Safety Champion
- Karla McCaughan; and
- Judy Tipping.
The Awards recognise individuals, community groups, organisations or businesses that have demonstrated commitment, initiative and leadership in the ‘championing’ of water safety in the Auckland region. This includes delivering water safety education, creating or implementing solutions that address behaviour or an identified issue, or raising awareness.
