We are pleased to announce the inaugural Drowning Prevention Auckland* ‘Water Safety Champion Awards 2017’ in recognition of individuals, community groups, organisations or businesses that have demonstrated commitment, initiative and leadership in the ‘championing’ of water safety in the Auckland region. This could include delivering water safety education, creating or implementing solutions that address behaviour or an identified issue, or raise awareness. Nominations are now open. (*Drowning Prevention Auckland is the working name of WaterSafe Auckland Inc.).
Categories:
Community Water Safety Champion
Individual Water Safety Champion
Long Service Water Safety Champion
Timeframe:
Tuesday 31 October 2017 – Nominations close
Friday 3 November 2017 – Finalists announced
Thursday 30 November 2017 – Awards presented at DPA AGM
Crab fishing is becoming more popular, particularly at Northland beaches such as Uretiti and Waipu, where there have been three drownings since 2011. In an effort to prevent further loss of life WaterSafe Auckland joined forces with Surf Life Saving Northern and the New Zealand Police, establishing the Crab Fishing Safety Project. The following story, as told by fisher Yan Li in how own words, illustrates the impact of such a collaboration and delivery.
-Begins-
Background: I always wanted to thank you for the Safe Crab Fishing event that WaterSafe Auckland, Surf Life Saving and NZ Police organised. I thought the safety guidance, advice and support are crucial to keep safe. So I used any opportunity to spread these safety advice, but before yesterday, these safety advice was just advice, till I saved a man’s life. I would like to share what happened to you, hope this story could help more people to stay safe and help others.Yesterday (08/02/2016), I went to Waipu, Marsden Point, to catch crabs with my friends (I don’t need more people, but as you said “never go alone”. I decided to bring more people). Before I go, I have checked, the weather would be fine, low tide would be at 13:09, swell would be 1~1.5 m. I have arrived Marsden Point around 13:15. There were lots of people already, around 100~200. I placed crab nets nearly 30~50m from shore.
Story: At the beginning, the wave feels fine, but getting higher and higher. The first catch was very good, got around 40 carbs from the first catch. Waves got higher around after 14:00, when I think back. At that point of time, when people were having fun, nobody noticed waves were getting higher. When I tried to retrieve my friend’s crab net, I felt very strong pulling power from the sea and first time felt the offshore wave that you have mentioned many times. It was very difficult for me to swim back with the crab net. I soon decided to let it go and swim back, waves were very strong, push me very far away from where I was. I knew there was a sudden drop area, so I place the crab net far away from there, but I have been pushed to that area by waves just in a few seconds. I tried to swim so hard, the best I can do was remain my old position.Thanks for the recommended life jacket (with collar), I was very confident and calm enough to check my direction. People would get bit disoriented when waves keep hitting their heads. Because I have confidence on my equipment, I have time to calm down and make right decisions, instead of too panic then just struggle for life. I chose backstroke style to swim, so I can take advantage from waves. Waves actually pushed me heading to shore at them same time I would not be pulled by offshore wave beneath the water. On my way back to the shore, I saw a man without life jacket stuck in the sea. I knew for my situation, I was not able to help him, so I yelled him “hang in there, I swim back, call for help.” P.S. You were right, when people are drowning, they cannot call for help. I spent a few minutes to swim back. Then I told the drowning man’s friends to help him, his friends approached him and saved him later. I decided not go too far anymore.Around 16:15 I saw another man (with life jacket no collar, I will call him man B, I didn’t ask anyone’s name) stuck in the sea. He had stuck at the same spot struggling for 5-10 minutes, till people were aware of he was in danger. I approached the man was just saved (the man has no life jacket, I will call him man A), told him “your friend is in danger, we need to help him.” He asked me “can I borrow your life jacket”. “Of course” I said, “call more of your friends, don’t go by yourself, I will grab my rope. We do it together.” On the way to take my rope, I told my friend to call 111.
After your safety event, when I prepare equipment as you required, I thought it is no harm to buy a 50m rope just in case I may use it to rescue someone or myself. Then I tied my rope to the back of my life jacket, gave it to the man A. I held the end of the rope with 2 other men. Man A tried to approach the man B, after a few minutes swimming against waves, he swam back, “I got cramp” the man A said. I asked him to secure the rope with me, changed another man (man C) to put life jacket on, jumped into the sea to save man B. Man C has managed to reach man B, but the best they can do was holding each other in waves to maintain their old position, but we were not afraid anymore, because this time we have a rope to connect us. They won’t be flushed to offshore. Three of us stood on shallow sea started pulling the rope. Man B was finally back to land.
I hope above story could make people safer. During this thing, one of my friend (Chinese speaking) tried to contact 111, but she had difficulty to describe the geographic location. It is kind of impossible to give GPS coordinate. I suggest some governmental unities could give a serial number to high risk beaches and put a sign on the beach. This will help the police call centre pinpoint location quicker and people who call 111 easier to describe location. If certain number of emergency calls were for one location, or people died at this location, someone give this location a serial number and make a big sign with the SN and how many people dead here. It will be easier to describe a geographic location.
PS: these men in risk were from South East Asia, I didn’t ask which country. I didn’t ask they names, neither took any photo, as it may make other people feel bad. I didn’t jump into the sea, because these people were panic, they were about to jump into the sea together to save the man. I thought it is better that someone could organise the rescue.
Yours Sincerely
Yan Li
Crab fisher, Member Asian Safety Patrol (NZ Police) and Interpreter,Crab Fishing Safety Project (WaterSafe Auckland, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, NZ Police)
Most people in trouble in the water don’t drown, but some rescuers do. In the last 30 years 88 people have drowned in New Zealand while attempting to rescue others. It is a little known fact that, in most cases, the original victim survived and the rescuer drowned. In 2014, 5 out of 9 drowning deaths on New Zealand beaches involved rescuers.
Each of the four awa/rivers within the maunga illustration represent one of our values:
Uara 1 – Aroha. The awa representing the value of kindness; humility; and empathy
Uara 2 – Whakapono. The awa representing honesty
Uara 3 – Ngā Ture. The awa representing integrity; humility
Uara 4 – Kotahitanga. The awa representing courage; selflessness
The confluence
The confluence is the place where the awa/rivers merge, signifying collaboration and the collective effort.
The confluence represents Wai Ora Tāmaki Makaurau’s vision.
Te moana
Te moana represents the three moana of Tāmaki: Te Mānukanukatanga o Hoturoa; Kaipara & Te Wai o te Matā.
This element represents Wai Or Tāmaki Makaurau’s mission.
An unfortunate set of circumstances
Auckland boatie Graham Barr has a simple message for all fellow boat users and fishers this summer: “Wear. A. Lifejacket.”
If anyone knows just how important that is, it’s Graham, who survived hours in the water after the boat that he and his son were fishing on capsized last summer in the Firth of Thames.
The Manurewa resident has been boating and fishing in Kawakawa Bay and surrounding areas his whole life and thought he’d pop out for a quick fish with his son David last March.
At about 6:30pm, as they were getting ready to head home, “an unlucky set of circumstances” began in which a wave swamped the boat just as Graham was pulling up anchor, at the same time, the boat turned and slipped onto it’s left side, it was upside down within seconds.
But being safety conscious boaties, Graham and David were wearing lifejackets which they inflated straight away.
With his cellphone now under water, Graham and his son tried righting the boat to no avail and so made the decision to stay with the boat until help arrived.
But as it grew darker and the current stronger, they made the decision to swim to Ponui Island, about 30 minutes away. “If we had stayed with the boat we would have ended up in the Firth of Thames!” Graham says.
At around midnight, after an intimidating and tiring swim, they lay down exhausted on the beach of Ponui Island, it was then they saw the police spotlight searching for them.
“We used our life jacket reflectors to catch their attention, they told us they put the lights out over the water to give us hope.”
While so many incidents like this can turn fatal, Graham and David’s did not due to their strong adherence to safety.
“To all boaties and rock-based fishers, lifejackets will save your life, wear them all the time you are out. What happened to us, happened so quickly there would have been no way I could have got the lifejacket on so you got to put them on the whole time you are out.” Graham says.
Now with his boat fully recovered, Graham is looking forward to heading out onto the water this summer. He’s not been deterred by his experience but has since purchased stabilisers for his boat and personal locator beacon.
Rajdeep Kaur describes the day that everything changed as “a day with nothing happening, no plans to go anywhere.”
One fine Sunday morning in November 2021, the family were at their home in Flat Bush. In a bid to stop her teenage sons from sleeping in all day, Radjeep accepted an invitation from a friend to join them for a walk in the Waitākere Ranges.
After the walk, Rajdeep, her husband Gurdeep, sons Manveer and Puneet, along with their friends, headed to Karekare Beach to rest and relax on the beach.
Despite it being early evening, and after the lifeguard patrol had finished, the boys decided to go for a quick swim. After some initial reluctance, Gurdeep decided to join them to keep an eye on his sons.
Both Rajdeep and Gurdeep grew up in India and had only swum in swimming pools. They were not very experienced with Auckland’s West Coast beaches. Radjeep describes her husband as “fit and strong” and her boys as “healthy and active”, both being involved in local football teams and swimming at North Shore and East Auckland beaches.
Not long after the boys, Manveer and Puneet, entered the water, they were caught in a rip and found themselves unable to touch the ground. Their dad swam out to assist but found himself in trouble too.
Fortunately, Shalema Wanden-Hannay, an off-duty lifeguard, spotted the family in trouble. By the time she was able to reach them, she found Gurdeep unconscious in the water and the two boys were encouraging each other to stay calm and stay above the water. Shalema was joined by fellow Karekare lifeguards and together managed to get the family back to the beach where they administered CPR. The boys were checked and monitored by St Johns Ambulance staff and Gurdeep was flown to Auckland Hospital by the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter in a critical condition.
Gurdeep would spend ten days in hospital with a lung infection.
Once Radjeep arrived at the hospital, she recalls “Gurdeep was asking me about his boys, were they safe? It was the most important question to him. He asked me, have the boys drowned? I said no, he didn’t believe me. Police brought the boys to him, he didn’t believe me until he saw them in front of him,”
The whole family is full of praise for the Karekare lifeguards, police, St Johns Ambulance and rescue staff who helped on the day. They received counselling afterwards but it has still been a long road to recovery. Puneet was initially hesitant to return to the water but both boys have now been back to the beach helped in part by the water safety lessons Manveer took with the Karekare lifeguards. They are now actively promoting water safety within their Sikh community.
Rajdeep explained “We had never been taught about beach safety, rips and things like that. I would just say, swim between the flags, a lot of people go into the water after the flags have gone down and I want to educate them not to do that.”
It was an empty Ohope beach in 2007 when I took a boogie board for a paddle in the shallows to cool down. It didn’t seem very long before I suddenly realised how far out I was. However much I tried I couldn’t get back and the breakers were rolling me over. My wife, having seen this, was running over the dunes screaming for help. A kayaker came out, grabbed my tee shirt and got me close enough to be pulled out. An ambulance had been called but as it couldn’t drive onto the beach the ambulance men and their gear were ferried across in someone’s ute. I was stretchered back the same way and taken to hospital. I had had a heart attack as a result of extreme exhaustion. It was a terrifying experience. The people on the beach and the ambulance men saved my life. ~ Eric Whitworth, June 2022, Wirral, UK
Remembering Changho
In 2003, Changho (Roger) Kim arrived in New Zealand with big hopes and dreams. Having recently completed his mandatory military service in Korea, the 27 year old was keen to spend a year studying English. His hope was to improve his job prospects and build a bigger, brighter life for the future family he planned for.
Family friend Diane Lee remembers Changho as a laughing, friendly young man who was well-liked by the other students. He spent Christmas with Diane and her family where he excitedly told her of his parents upcoming visit to New Zealand and his plans to return to Korea soon after.
After Christmas, Changho visited Auckland with friends then returned to Hamilton on December 27th. On their return trip, he and his friends stopped at a swimming spot on Cambridge’s Lake Karapiro called Keeleys Landing. It is believed Changho jumped into the water with his friends, despite being unable to swim.
Diane still vividly remembers that night. “It was almost dark….it was raining… I got a phone call….. it was from New Zealand police. My heart broke and I did not know what to do. I still can’t forget the dizzying feeling of that night, Roger had left us just like that.”
In the days that followed, Changho’s parents arrived and police searched frantically for his body. Diane and his parents were present when he was found and they were able to gently transport him home to Korea.
Changho’s death left so many questions for his New Zealand friends. “He hated water so much, why did he jump from that high diving point? Did he make the mistake of thinking he was a good swimmer like his friends? Was he trying to blend into the surrounding atmosphere even with his unfamiliar knowledge of the water?” Diane wonders.
For many years Diane returned to Keeley’s Landing every Christmas to remember Changho and throw flowers into the water.
“Even now, New Zealand’s waters have swallowed up more young Koreans, I earnestly pray there will be no more sad news. I pray for that,” she says.
A significant and long lasting impact for Neko
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
Lucky Dad could reach me
Nearly seven years ago, I almost drowned. When I was waiting for my swimming lesson, I was playing on the steps with my friend. We were playing some games and next minute I knew I couldn’t find the steps and I sank. I couldn’t get my head above the water. I don’t remember how that felt but my Dad was in the pool with my sister in her swimming lesson and lifted me up. I threw up and then we left the pool. All parents should know that you should always be watching your kids around the water. Renee, age 11.
