How To Prevent Drowning

Tragically every year, families across New Zealand lose loved ones to drowning in pools, lakes rivers and the ocean.

If you find yourself in trouble around the water, or are involved with helping someone else: firstly, remain as calm as possible. Keeping a level head will help you make sensible decisions, and conserving energy is also vitally important.

Lifeguards say a lack of fitness, panicking and wasting energy contribute to far too many drownings.  Panic causes a swimmer to expend energy quickly; a lack of fitness leads to fatigue resulting in a person not being able to stay afloat.

Lifeguards encourage swimmers  to "float and go" as opposed to "fight against" currents or rips at the beach. Even if you visit a water spot regularly, it is still important to check the conditions on the day and not be too casual about having "local knowledge." Too often people ignore danger sigs, thinking they "know the area." If you find yourself in a rip, try to relax and attract the attention of lifeguards or bystanders swiftly and swim diagonally away from the rip, rather than trying to swim directly into it. even strong swimmers are no match for a rip. If you feel yourself tiring, float on your back, rather than exhausting yourself.

Children should always be supervised in and around water, by a sober adult. Sadly, children drown silently in a matter of minutes, in even shallow water, so never leave them unattended.

If you see someone in distress in the water, raise an alarm immediately,  and assess the situation and your ability before you attempt a rescue. Well meaning would-be rescuers often end up being resuced themselves, because they are not strong enough swimmers, or poorly dressed to facilitate a recue.

A person's survival can depend on the treatment and organisation once they're brought ashore.

Raise the alarm with emergency services, investigate any skills that other bystanders may have (doctor, lifesaver, nurse, firefighter), search for and deploy any flotation devices, and keep a level head while delegating clear, simple instructions to those available to assist.