'Don't be a dead hero' - search and rescue veteran calls for rescuers to weigh up the odds
Friday, 7 January 2022
A search and rescue veteran doesn't want to hear of any more dead heroes on the water this summer, as the nation climbs to 31 drownings since December.
Several of the fatalities over the holiday period related to swimmers going to the rescue and the rescuer getting in trouble themselves.
It’s a scary moment when you see someone in difficulty, Taupō search and rescue leader senior constable Barry Shepherd told Stuff.
“You want to save them, but if you can’t swim yourself, then you need to assign someone else.”
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Mu Mu, 27, and Blae Ler Paw, 11, drowned while swimming in the Manawatū River, off Ahimate Beach, on December 29. Mu Mu jumped in the water to rescue the young girl but also drowned. Both bodies have since been recovered.
On December 10, a 5-year-old boy got into trouble while swimming off Marine Parade, Napier.
Despite the rescue efforts of four police officers and a member of the public, Te Karauna Waihirere Manawa Tua Tahi o Te Ora Tamaiti Te Rangi Issac Jerricoh Warren-Whakamoe drowned.
Shepherd said it’s an impulsive human instinct and incredibly admirable.
“But don’t be a dead hero.”
A drowning that Shepherd won’t ever forget came in December 2020.
Logan Ken Hughes, 18, of Taihape died attempting to save the life of a 12-year-old girl who was swimming in the Waikato River near Taupō.
Another bystander jumped in and helped the girl to safety, while rescuers worked hard to retrieve Hughes from about seven metres of water.
“He saw it as a need to jump in and help a girl who was struggling, this is an incredible human trait, but he died, and this is our dilemma,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd encourages swimmers to take a breath, pause and think about what they’re doing.
“If you’re not the strongest swimmer weigh up the odds and yell out for someone else who might be a better swimmer than you.”
There have been 31 drownings in New Zealand since summer began in December making it one of the deadliest summers on record so far - already passing the 25 fatalities for each of the previous two summers, and there are still almost two months to go in this season.
There were 20 preventable drowning deaths in December 2021 – more than double the national average for that month over the previous five years.
Over the official holiday period that runs from 4pm on December 24 to 6am on Wednesday, 15 people drowned, up 180 per cent on the five-year average.
Taupō’s iconic Waikato River Float is also keeping emergency services on their toes.
Two people were reported missing along the river in recent weeks, Shepherd said. They were found later that day.
People want to get out on the water and it's good they're enjoying themselves, Shepherd said, but they need to do it safely.
“We haven’t had any storms this summer either, traditionally the country has a bit of flooding which can send people home.
“Lake Taupo has been going off, there’s a row of beach umbrellas as far as the eye can see.”
Hot holiday weather had also been driving people into the water, too often with fatal consequences.
Water Safety NZ’s Māori spokesman, Rob Hewitt, said most drownings came broadly under three categories – swimmers at rivers, divers, and people swimming at beaches.
Hewitt said climate change could be a factor in increasing people’s need to seek water to cool down.
“We understand what climate change is doing, and it’s driving whānau members to the water – whether that’s the river, lake or ocean.”
Holiday drowning deaths
Three people died on Boxing Day. A 30-year-old man drowned at Karioitahi in Auckland’s south, a man drowned at Waiwera Beach north of Auckland and a woman died following a water-related incident at Waikanae Beach in Kāpiti.
Two people, a woman and a girl, drowned in the Manawatū River on Wednesday, Dec 29.
A diver drowned at Te Araroa on the East Coast and was discovered on Thursday, Dec 30.
Two men drowned in the Manawatū River on Sunday, Jan 2.
A diver drowned off the North Canterbury Coast on Monday, Jan 3.
The body of a man who went missing in Waikato River, near Hamilton Gardens on Monday is believed to have been found on Wednesday.
Frances Rose Carswell, died at a north Auckland beach, Wenderholm, on Tuesday.
A child drowned at Kai Iwi Lakes in Northland on Tuesday afternoon.
A 28-year-old man died after going missing while swimming in the Waingaro River, west of Ngāruawāhia, on Tuesday.
A 58-year-old man died in hospital on Wednesday, after being critically injured in a Masterton school pool on Monday.
Key water safety tips
Be prepared. Check the weather forecast and marine conditions; know the local environment and safe swimming spots; set rules for safe play; use safe and well-maintained equipment.
Look out for yourself and others. Always supervise children around water and keep kids under five within arm’s reach. Never swim alone. Swim between the flags at the beach and make sure everyone on board the boat is wearing a well-fitted lifejacket.
Be aware of the dangers. The water will be cold. If it’s a surf beach, it’s a rip beach.
Know your limits. Challenge yourself within your abilities and skill level; know what you can and can’t do in the water.