On The Up: Bay of Plenty lifeguards credited for sharp drop in beach rescues
Surf Lifesaving NZ's general manager of lifesaving, Andy Kent, said it was 'incredibly positive' to see the numbers trend down.
He said it was 'a testament' to preventive efforts and education by lifeguards.
More than 4000 volunteer lifeguards nationwide worked more than 240,000 hours during the 2024/25 patrol season and carried out 47,487 preventive actions, involving nearly 1 million people.
'That's nearly double the previous patrol season, he said.
'Lifeguard actions included preventing swimmers from entering a rip current or hole and being swept away, or shifting board and ski riders to flagged areas.'
Kent said surf lifeguards kept training and upskilling over winter, with volunteer Search and Rescue squads 'on standby' to respond to any incidents.
Eastern Region surf lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said Bay of Plenty lifeguards helped more than 380,020 people stay out of trouble with 4650 preventive actions this summer.
That was more than double the prior summer.
'There is no question that increasing our preventative actions, including our lifeguards talking to more people about where best to swim or surf, and increasing our mobile patrol, is paying dividends.'
He said the number of people needing help in the water had dropped by 42% from 195 in 2023/24 to 112 in 2024/25, and drownings were also trending down.
Gibbons-Campbell said that between 2014 and 2024 there were 35 deaths and coastal drownings in the Bay of Plenty.
Last year, there was only one coastal water death in the region, in Pāpāmoa. The 10-year average was three per year.
Gibbons-Campbell said as more people visited Bay of Plenty beaches, the region's 850 volunteer lifeguards, including some who also had paid duties, had to remain vigilant.
'We have to be more nimble, agile and adapt to the weather conditions, as some people still choose not to swim between the flags or at unpatrolled beaches.'
Surf Lifesaving NZ safety messages
Knowing how to float increases your chance of survival.
Find the safest place to swim – check safeswim.org.nz to find a lifeguarded beach.
If in doubt or if you cannot float, stay out – don't underestimate risks and never swim alone.
Take care of others – always keep children within arm's length
Know how to get help – let lifeguards know if someone is in trouble, or call 111 and ask for police.
Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and t who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Body found in river during Canterbury search
(File photo) Photo: Police say a body has been found during a search and rescue operation in Canterbury. About 3:15pm on Thursday, a helicopter crew taking part in the search said it had spotted a body in the Boyle River, police said in a bulletin. "While the formal identification process is yet to be completed, it is believed to be the man who was swept into the river earlier this afternoon," they said. "Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this tragic time. Much of New Zealand has been hit by storms, with strong winds and heavy rain in some places. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
02-06-2025
- Scoop
Fire And Emergency King's Birthday Honours Recipients Congratulated
Fire and Emergency New Zealand Board Chair Rebecca Keoghan has congratulated four Fire and Emergency personnel from Oxford, Fox Glacier, Matatā and Taihape who have been recognised in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours List released today. "These awards recognise the outstanding contributions that our people have made to Fire and Emergency, Search and Rescue and their local communities over many years," Rebecca Keoghan says. The recipients are: Ronald (Ron) Ealam (Oxford) - Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Search and Rescue Marius Bron (Fox Glacier) - King's Service Medal (KSM) for services to Search and Rescue and the community Gavin Dennis (Matatā) - King's Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community Alan (Curly) Troon (Taihape) - King's Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand. 'We are all incredibly proud of this fantastic achievement," Rebecca Keoghan says. "On behalf of Fire and Emergency, thank you for your ongoing dedication to our organisation and your communities." Additional information: Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) Ronald Bruce (Ron) Ealam Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for services to Search and Rescue Mr Ron Ealam has been contributing to Land Search and Rescue for more than 50 years. Mr Ealam has been a member of the Oxford Fire Brigade since 1996. He has contributed 25 years of service to the New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Dogs, helping train dogs. He has been a qualified national trainer and assessor for Search Dogs for more than ten years, specialising in border collies, attending several annual dog training camps each year. He helped develop the official New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Search Dogs Training Pathway and Assessments in 2009, which forms the basis of the Search Dogs pathways today. He has been a member of the Oxford Land Search and Rescue, contributing to local search and rescue meetings and training nights, and training dogs, which takes at least two years before they become operational. During the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes, he was part of the initial response in the first three days in the Redcliff area and helped with welfare and house checks. He has been the elected Group Chair for Oxford Land Search and Rescue for more than 10 years. Mr Ealam received the New Zealand Search and Rescue Excellence award in 2023 for his contributions. King's Service Medal (KSM) Marius Jean Bron King's Service Medal (KSM) for services to Search and Rescue and the community Mr Marius Bron has served the Fox Glacier community in various volunteer emergency service roles since 1999. On a voluntary basis Mr Bron leads the local branches of South Westland Land Search and Rescue Group, the Civil Defence service and the Community Committee. He also volunteers for the Department of Conservation, assisting in the management of alpine huts in the area. He works to ensure these huts are fit for use by both domestic and international visitors. He is also a local volunteer firefighter for Fire and Emergency New Zealand and a St John Ambulance first responder. The skills he has gained from these various roles make him a central figure in the Fox Glacier community. He and his team have received national recognition for their search and rescue efforts, including the successful rescue of two climbers on Mt Rolleston and the successful overnight rescue of an injured person on a glacier. He was involved in the creation of important facilities for the Fox Glacier community, including the Emergency Services Centre and the Community Centre. His efforts included driving the concept stage, fundraising and project managing. In addition to his volunteer work, Mr Bron is Operations Manager at Fox Glacier Guiding, which brings tourist business to the community. Gavin Lloyd Dennis, JP King's Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community Mr Gavin Dennis has served the Matatā community for close to 40 years. Mr Dennis is currently Chief Fire Officer of the Matatā Volunteer Fire Brigade, having held various ranks since joining in 1987. While Deputy Chief Fire Officer, he played a key role in the response to major flood events in 2005, with the town cut off for several days. He instigated the Matatā Volunteer Fire Brigade's Cadet Programme in 2014, for young people aged 15 to 16 to join the brigade to gain experience and life skills. The programme has been successful in recruiting these young people as volunteer recruit firefighters when eligible, forming a large part of the brigade's membership over the past 10 years. He was a member of the Rangitaiki Community Board from 2007 to 2019, serving four years as Deputy Chairperson, and helped oversee the town's recovery efforts following the 2017 Edgecumbe flood event. He has served on the Boards of Trustees of Matatā Public School and Trident High School, including holding several offices across the period 1993 to 2010. He has chaired the Matatā Residents Association and the Matatā Community Resource Centre. Mr Dennis was elected to the Whakatāne District Council in 2019. Alan Rex (Curly) Troon King's Service Medal (KSM) for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand Mr Alan "Curly" Troon is a Life Member of the Taihape Volunteer Fire Brigade and has helped to promote Taihape through gumboot throwing. Mr Troon joined the Taihape Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1991 and has been Chief Fire Officer since 2009, being awarded Life Membership in 2022. He oversaw the rebuild of the new Taihape Fire Station which opened in 2022. He has worked for Rangitikei County Council and has held many volunteer roles within the community, including past President of the Taihape Tennis Association and Taihape Kindergarten Committee and is the current President of the New Zealand Boot Throwing Association (NZBTA). In the mid-1980s, he became a champion thrower in Taihape's annual Gumboot Day and has since promoted the sport with his wife. They have taken Taihape to world competitions. In 2021 he won the Toyota Lifetime Legacy Award from NZBTA as part of the Norwood Rural Sports Award. He is a past member of the Taihape St John Area Committee and has driven the Taihape ambulance when the team is short staffed. Mr Troon has been coaching young people at the Taihape Badminton Club since 2023.
RNZ News
02-06-2025
- RNZ News
King's Birthday Honours: Ron Ealam recognised for work training search and rescue dogs
Photo: LandSAR There are many ways to serve a community, and Ron Ealam, from Oxford in Canterbury has been doing it, for the last few decades at least, with trusty dogs at his side. On Monday, Ealam was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work with Land Search and Rescue over more than 50 years. For half of that he has been working with rescue dogs - developing the official search dogs training programme and becoming a national trainer and assessor. "I just quite enjoy being out there, and to actually train a dog up to achieve what we've achieved is just quite amazing," he told RNZ. He brought with him Skyla, a border collie beardie cross - one of those he has trained over the years. "They're actually a light, a very light dog that can work pretty good hours and just stop and have a rest and keep going again, and they're just full of energy." Rescue dogs were trained to recognise human scent, Ealam said. "We train them initially right from when they were a pup to indicate and follow human scent, which are skin follicles that fall off your body." And not every dog has a nose for it, he said. "It's just a matter of finding a dog that has got a good nose, and we developed that and enhance their natural ability… they're pretty amazing... once they pick up a scent, they lock onto it and they'll just stay on it." One of his most memorable rescues was an early one at Lake Kaniere in the South Island. "We got a call at 11 o'clock at night for a missing multi-sport runner at Methven, and we drove through the night and we got to Methven about six o'clock in the morning and they put us in a helicopter and took us up onto the tops. "And we searched down for probably four to six hours, and then my dog indicated on the footprint that went down a creek, and we followed the scent down to the last party and she was there - she was very cold. "And I can always remember my dog sort of cuddled up to her." The woman was airlifted out by helicopter.
