Calling On Kiwis To Share Their Stories This World Drowning Prevention Day
This year's global theme, 'Your Story Can Save A Life' encourages people across Aotearoa and around the world to speak openly about their experiences in, on, or around the water - from close calls to life-saving moments, and the lessons that shape our decisions. In sharing our stories, we learn from the experience of others. This can save lives.
Some stories are well known, including that of Water Safety New Zealand's own Rob Hewitt (Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Rangikoianake), an ex-navy diver with his own harrowing tale of surviving 75 hours lost at sea. Rob now dedicates much of his time advocating for water safety, with a particular focus on Māori and Pasifika communities, generously sharing his story to draw attention to the necessity of Water Safety and having an unwavering respect for the water.
Interventions Lead at Water Safety New Zealand, Esther Hone (Ngāpuhi), has her own story of survival and of loss. She was drawn to a career in water safety after losing a friend when boating on a lake when she was younger. 'That experience had a dramatic impact and made me understand how quickly things can go wrong - particularly in open water environments where conditions can change so quickly.'
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
In 2024, New Zealand recorded 74 drowning fatalities - the lowest annual toll since 2018 and a 14% drop from the 10-year average. While the reduction is encouraging, Water Safety New Zealand say the risks of preventable drowning remain very real.
An average of 86 New Zealanders drown every year. Many fatalities involve preventable behaviour such as not wearing a lifejacket, entering the water alone, consuming alcohol or other drugs, and underestimating conditions.
New Zealand drowning facts:
Men continue to be overrepresented - 73% of drownings in 2024 (54 out of 74 total drownings) were male adults (aged 25 and above)
90% of craft-related drownings in 2024 were not wearing a life jacket
88% of 2024 drownings were adults
Nearly 20% of drownings in 2024 were at one of NZ's highest risk drowning locations.
'We are making good progress, particularly with our tamariki, but every life lost is one too many,' says Esther. 'World Drowning Prevention Day provides an opportunity to speak up, share our stories, and help shape a culture where water safety is second nature.'
ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker says World Drowning Prevention Day is an opportunity to be more mindful of the risks in and around the water.
'A drowning is a devastating event for any whānau and community, and our hearts go out to every family who has lost a loved one,' he says. 'Most of these tragic drownings are preventable if we take the time to consider the risks.'
Whitaker stressed the importance of following the Five Ways to Survive – New Zealand's Water Safety Code.
'Far too many New Zealanders are drowning, and these events are preventable,' he says. 'If we take time to assess the risks and make smart choices before we jump in, we can keep on doing the things we love.'
New Zealanders are invited to take part in World Drowning Prevention Day by sharing their own water safety experiences to help reinforce that the power is in prevention.
How to take part:
Use World Drowning Prevention Day as a reason to post your water story or safety message on social media to contribute to a culture of water safety in New Zealand.
Share an experience, life lesson or thought around water safety, reminding New Zealanders that the power is in prevention
Use hashtags #WorldDrowningPreventionDay, #WaterSafetyNZ, and #ShareYourStory
Access free downloadable toolkits and digital assets from watersafetynz.org/staying-safe/world-drowning-prevention-day
'Whether it's a national story or a moment from your local beach - what you share can save lives,' says Esther. 'Let's connect, share, and work together to solve drowning in New Zealand and create a culture of water safety. The power is in prevention'.
Notes:
People who overestimate their ability, ignore weather forecasts, don't wear lifejackets, or think swimming skills are all they need to stay safe – are people who put their lives at risk around water.
The five points of New Zealand's Water Safety Code – Five Ways to Survive were developed based on drowning and injury data, and global evidence of what works to save lives: watersafetynz.org/water-safety-code
Water Safety New Zealand also notes that the first reading of the Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill will likely take place in July.
Again, another important moment - and an opportunity to both express our support for the bill and express the need for one consistent national rule around lifejacket use for all ages, particularly given the number of adult drownings where no life jacket was worn.
watersafetynz.org/staying-safe/lifejackets
About Water Safety New Zealand
Water Safety New Zealand is the lead agent for water safety and drowning prevention in New Zealand. For more than 75 years, we've made it our mission to support people and places to be safer around water.
We do this through focused data science, leadership, education, and advocacy. As a charity, we are dedicated to making New Zealand's waterways safer for everyone.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Voices For Visibility: Marking World Head And Neck Cancer Day In Aotearoa New Zealand
Each year on July 27, World Head and Neck Cancer Day brings global attention to one of the most complex and under-recognised groups of cancers. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Head and Neck Cancer Support Network Trust is calling for greater visibility, earlier detection, and improved care for people affected by these challenging cancers. Head and neck cancers affect the mouth, throat, voice box, sinuses, nose, and salivary glands. While they represent only about 4% of all cancers in New Zealand, their impact is far greater. Treatments often involve disfiguring surgery, radiation, chemotherapy—or all three—leaving patients with lifelong difficulties in speaking, swallowing, breathing, and eating. And yet, despite these challenges, the voices of those affected are often lost in our health system. A Growing Need for Change In recent years, we have seen an increase in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers, particularly in younger people. At the same time, oral cancers continue to disproportionately affect older adults and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Māori patients often face worse outcomes due to delayed diagnosis and limited access to services. Despite advancements in treatment, our health system is struggling to provide timely and equitable care. Patients report delays in diagnosis, and insufficient support during survivorship. As one survivor told us, "You're patched up, but you're not put back together." We can do better. What We're Asking For The Head and Neck Cancer Support Network Trust believes that every New Zealander affected by head and neck cancer deserves: Timely, accurate diagnosis Coordinated multidisciplinary care Access to clinical nurse specialists and rehabilitation services Culturally appropriate support for Māori and Pacific patients A national action plan for head and neck cancer We also call for increased awareness in the general public and among primary care clinicians. Early detection saves lives—but only if people know what to look for. Persistent hoarseness, difficulty swallowing, unexplained mouth sores or lumps in the neck should never be ignored. Our Work The Trust is a national patient-led charity working to improve outcomes through advocacy, peer support, and education. We maintain online forums, connect patients with resources, and collaborate with clinicians to improve care. Most importantly, we listen to and amplify the lived experiences of survivors, carers, and whānau. On World Head and Neck Cancer Day, we honour their strength—and we recommit to fighting for a system that sees them, hears them, and heals them. What You Can Do Learn the signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer Share our resources with your networks Talk to your GP if something doesn't feel right Support our work at Together, we can bring head and neck cancer out of the shadows—and ensure no one faces it alone.
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Scoop
'Biggest Number We've Had': Pacific Dengue Cases Highest In A Decade
Dengue cases in the Pacific are at their highest since 2016, with nearly 19,000 people affected, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. The new figures come as multiple nations in the region grapple with outbreaks and surging case numbers. Just last week, Samoa confirmed a second child with the disease had died this year. Overall, nine dengue-related deaths have been reported across the region. WHO's Pacific Techincal Support director Dr Mark Jacobs told Pacific Waves that July regional data showed the number of suspected dengue cases was at 18,766 - the highest since 2016. "We've been seeing a gradual increase in dengue in the Pacific for at least the last couple of decades. But looking at the last 10 years, what we tend to see is peaks in some years and then lower levels in other years. "This year, so far, we're up to two more than 18,000 suspected cases of dengue….that's the biggest number that we've had certainly in the last 10 years. Of those, 12,040 were laboratory-confirmed cases. Jacobs said the high case numbers were due to a range of factors, including the movement of people between Pacific nations. "The virus that causes dengue fever basically lives in people and lives in mosquitoes. And so for a lot of the…smaller Pacific countries, they haven't got enough people for the virus to keep on circulating all the time. "What tends to happen in those…Pacific countries is, if there's an outbreak somewhere else in the Pacific, or somewhere where there's people moving to and from, someone might come into that country from another country [where] they've already been infected…and bring the virus back." Climate change and shifting weather patterns in the region also increased the risk around dengue spread, he said. The lack of understanding around dengue hot-spots was another risk factor. "It's actually most common in urban settings and semi-urban settings, so towns and villages where there's quite a few people living. [That's where] the mosquito is very comfortable living - in and around people's houses." A breakdown of the WHO July data, showed spread of the disease had been highest in Fiji, which had 13,702 suspected cases, followed by Tonga (2087) and French Polynesia or Mā'ohi Nui (1079). The data also showed numbers appeared to have peaked in March. However, in recent months, there had been a resurgence in spread of the virus. In particular, it had been found in previously unaffected nations like American Sāmoa, Nauru and Tuvalu. Jacobs said the four different strains of dengue also added to challenges around preventing spread and illness. This was because immunity to dengue was generally dependent on individual strains. "If you've been infected in the past with type one dengue, then you're unlikely to get that sort of dengue again," he said. "But if…a different strain of the of the dengue virus comes into the country some years later - dengue type two for instance - then all the people who've been infected with type one before, who've been protected against getting type one again, they could all get type two." Jacobs said that transmission pattern often triggered big outbreaks. It also contributed to more severe illness from dengue. "If somebody's had dengue more than once, in other words, if they've had it with a couple of the different strains a few years apart, they're the people most likely to get really, really severely ill with dengue. "And so we see more of the severe dengue, more complications of dengue in those people." 'About 100 confirmed cases per week' in Samoa In Samoa, the acting director-general of health Tagaloa Dr Robert Thomsen said the government was prioritising mosquito spraying of areas and buildings where people gathered in its response. These included schools and sites like the Victim Support centre and National University of Sāmoa, he said. Tangaloa confirmed the recent dengue-related death was an eight-year-old girl. She died on Sunday 13 July. Misiafa Lene, 12, died in April after contracting dengue. As of 13 July, the number of laboratory-confirmed dengue cases was 1276 in Samoa. "For the past three weeks - excluding this week - we've seen an increase of about 100 confirmed cases per week," Tagaloa said. "Our biggest challenge at the moment…is the paediatric age group - children below 15 years of age. [They] appear to be the ones that are mostly affected."
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Scoop
New PHANZ Policy Affirms The Importance Of Community Water Fluoridation
The Public Health Association of New Zealand (PHANZ) supports community water fluoridation as a critical public health measure and supports the Government continuing to uphold its responsibility for implementing community water fluoridation. Releasing its new policy position statement on Community Water Fluoridation, the PHANZ emphasises the strong body of international and national evidence supporting community water fluoridation as a safe and effective public health measure for preventing tooth decay in both children and adults. 'Fluoridated water protects our mokopuna, whānau and communities who might face barriers in accessing dental care' says Dr Cadence Kaumoana, Chief Executive. 'It is a simple, safe, proven and equitable approach to improve the oral health of all people in Aotearoa New Zealand.' In Aotearoa New Zealand, tooth decay is one of the leading causes of hospital admissions for children aged 0-14 years. In 2019, there were 9,267 dental and hospital events, equating to 4.6% of all children's hospital events, and tooth decay was the most common principal diagnosis (7,161 children) from all children's hospital events.[1]For adults (aged 15 years and over), 45.0% have had one or more teeth removed in their lifetime due to tooth decay, with increased prevalence for Māori (50.3%) and people with disabilities (64.4%).2 Until relatively recently, the decision to fluoridate water supplies was determined at a local authority level. However, the introduction of the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021[ 3] enabled the Director-General of Health to direct local authorities to fluoridate drinking water supplies, creating a nationally consistent, health-focused, and evidence-based decision-making process for community water fluoridation in Aotearoa New Zealand. In July 2022, the Director-General of Health issued directions to 14 local authorities to take practicable steps (with support from the Ministry of Health) to ensure their drinking water supplies contained optimal level of fluoride.[4] As a result of the directions to these 14 local authorities, around 400,000 more people have gained access to fluoridated community drinking water.[5] The PHANZ notes that despite the overwhelming evidence for community water fluoridation, and the public health benefits of centralising decision-making under the Director-General of Health, opposition to this approach persists. In February 2025, a Member's Bill from New Zealand First proposed repealing the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021.[6] Repealing this would return responsibility for fluoridation to local authorities, a system that previously led to regional inconsistencies and allowed misinformation and non-evidenced-based decisions to compromise oral health outcomes. In response to this announcement, the Health Minister reaffirmed that the Government would maintain its current fluoride policy.7 'Oral health isn't just about teeth — it's about dignity, confidence, and basic quality of life,' says Dr Kaumoana. 'We support the Government's commitment to keep community water fluoridation at the national level. Every whānau deserves access to safe and effective oral health protection regardless of their location. This is a simple, proven way to prevent harm and reduce health inequities.' The PHANZ also recognises that oral health is shaped by a broad range of social determinants. While our recent statement focuses on community water fluoridation, it should be understood within the wider oral health context in Aotearoa New Zealand, including the impacts of childhood poverty, food insecurity, unhealthy food environments, and the unmet demand, and barriers to access, for oral health care across the health system. Improving oral health in Aotearoa New Zealand requires coordinated, cross-sector action, of which community water fluoridation is an important component. • Read the full PHANZ policy position statement: PHANZ Policy Position Statement on Community Water Fluoridation • Watch the PHANZ policy webinar supporting the release of the policy position statement. This webinar includes a brief overview of the policy position statement, followed by a presentation from oral health expert and PHANZ member Heuiwon (Chris) Han. About the Public Health Association of New Zealand The Public Health Association of New Zealand is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting health and well-being in Aotearoa. Comprising a diverse membership, including health professionals, academics, and advocates, the PHA strives to influence policies and practices that address the social determinants of health and advance equitable health outcomes. Visit for more information on our organisation and our Council members. Note: 1 Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora. (2021). Publicly funded hospital discharges – 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. Wellington: Ministry of Health. july-2018-to-30-june-2019 2 Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora. (2024). Annual data explorer 2023/24: New Zealand health survey [Data File]. 3 4 community-water-fluoridation 5 fluoridated-drinking-water 6
