SLSNZ NATIONAL Beach & Coastal Safety Report

NATIONAL BEACH & 

COASTAL SAFETY REPORT 

10-YEAR OVERVIEW | 2009-19 & 1-YEAR OVERVIEW | 2018-19

KEY FINDINGS 

KEY FINDINGS 

10-YEAR OVERVIEW | 2009-19 

10 YEA R O V E RVI E W | 2 0 0 9 - 1 9 

We call on those who have the authority, the legal or the moral responsibility, 

to work with us and our drowning prevention partners to stop the death toll from 

getting worse, and to reduce it to a level where we can be proud as an island nation 

to say ‘we have no preventable drownings on our beach and coastal areas’. 

1 

Fatal Drownings in New Zealand 

Have INCREASED. 

There has been a 37% increase in Beach and 

Coastal Fatal Drownings over the last 5 years, when 

compared to the previous 5 years. 

2 

Our Fatal Drownings are 70% 

HIGHER Than Australia. 

New Zealand has a 70% higher Beach and Coastal 

Fatal Drowning rate per capita than Australia. 

3 

1:15 

For Every Child or Young 

Adolescent That Fatally Drowned, 

15 Were Hospitalised for 

Non-Fatal Drowning Injuries. 

Children are grossly over-represented in the 

non-fatal drowning statistics. For every child or 

young adolescent that fatally drowns,there are15 

that are hospitalised having suffered from 

non-fatal drowning . 

4 

Males are Fatally Drowning 

MORE Than Females. 

89% 

MALE 

11% 

FEMALE 

Of those who died from drowning over the last 10 

years, males represent 89% and females only 11%. 

Men are fatally drowning more on our beaches and 

coastline than females. 

5 

2.0 

Pasifika had the HIGHEST Fatal 

Drowning Rate Over the Last 

10 years. 

6 

Almost 50% of Fatal Drownings 

Occured in Summer. 

7 

Northland has New Zealand’s 

HIGHEST Fatal Drowning Rate 

3.91 

8 

Adults are Fatally Drowning 

MORE Than Children and Young 

Adolescents. 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 

All Others Maori Pacific Peoples 

Over the last 10 years Pacific Peoples had the 

highest Fatal Drowning rate (1.69 per 100,000 pop) 

of any ethnicity, closely followed by Maori 

(1.27 pero 100,000 pop). 

Over the last 10 years, there were 144 Fatal 

Beach and Coastal Drownings during the 

Summer months of December, January and 

February. This figure represents nearly half of 

the total annual fatal drownings recorded, 

highlighting the increased risk associated with 

the busy Summer season. 

The rate of fatal drownings per 100,000pop in 

Northland is 3.91, whereas Auckland (with a much 

larger population), has a fatal drowning rate of only 

0.63. Therefore the risk of drowning on the beach 

and coastline of Northland is more than 6 times 

greater than Auckland. 

Adults over the age of 15 have a higher probability 

of Beach and Coastal Fatal Drowning, than children 

and young adolescents. 35-44 being the category 

with the most Fatal Drownings recorded. 

9 

Surf Beaches Pose the HIGHEST 

Risk for Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drowning in New Zealand. 

10 

Over the Last 10 Years, the 

HIGHEST RISK Activities on a 

Beach and Coastal Environment 

Have Been: 

However... 

Last Year the HIGHEST RISK 

Activities Were: 

Over the last 10 years, 39% of beach and coastal 

fatal drownings occured at a surf beach in 

New Zealand. 

Swimming/Wading Falls (trips/slips) Boating Rock Fishing Watercraft Swimming/Wading 

SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL BEACH AND COASTAL SAFETY REPORT SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND KEY FINDINGS INFOGRAPHICS 

02 03

DROWNING SNAPSHOT 


CONTENTS 

LOCATION 

39% 

SURF BEACH 

ACTIVITY 

22% 

SWIMMING/WADING 

320 89% 

MALE 

BEACH & 

COASTAL FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

15% 

ROCKY 

FORESHORE 

20% 

FALLS 

11% 

FEMALE 

14% 

HARBOUR 

15% 

BOATING 

Key Findings Infographics 02 

Synopsis 06 

Key Findings 07 

Northland 38 

SECTION ONE: 

09 

Auckland 40 

CAPABILITY 

Waikato 42 

Bay of Plenty 44 

Capability 10 Gisborne 46 

Surf Life Saving Patrol 

Locations 12 

Hawke's Bay 

Taranaki 

48 

50 

Surf Lifeguard Capability 13 Manawatu-Wanganui 52 

Rescues Per Region 14 Wellington 54 

Assists Per Region 15 Tasman 56 

Major First Aid Incidents 16 Marlborough 58 

Minor First Aid Incidents 17 West Coast 60 

Searches Per Region 18 Canterbury 62 

Preventative Actions 19 Otago 64 

Southland 66 

SECTION T WO: 

21 

FATAL DROWNING 

SECTION SIX: 

69 

10 YEAR ACTIVITY 

10 Year National Overview 22 OVERVIEW 2009-19 

SECTION THREE: 

FATAL DROWNING 

ANALYSIS - 2018/19 

29 

1 Year National Overview 30 

SECTION FOUR: 

NON-FATAL 

DROWNING 

33 

Non-Fatal Drownings Overview 34 

Comparison of Fatal and 

Non-Fatal Drownings on Beaches 35 

SECTION FIVE: 

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS 

37 

Snapshot: Swimming/Wading 70 

Snapshot: Falls 71 

Snapshot: Boating 72 

Snapshot: Watercraft 73 

Snapshot: Snorkelling 74 

Key Terms 76 

References 78

SYNOPSIS 

KEY FINDINGS 

New Zealand has one of the highest fatal 

drowning rates in the OECD 1 . 

Each one leaves families and communities devastated. Our 

drowning toll is something every New Zealander should see 

as a national tragedy and one we all have a responsibility to 

address (Water Safety New Zealand, 2019b). 

Drowning is not just a tragedy for those involved, but 

each drowning has a considerable economic impact too. 

The social cost to New Zealand of one water drowning 

fatality has been estimated at $4.729 million and this can 

be expected to be higher for children under 5 years-old who 

live longer (Water Safety New Zealand, 2019a). 

Each year, more than three million people visit beaches 

and 1.5 million go boating (Water Safety New Zealand, 

2015). These people are exposed to a risk of drowning, 

that Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) is committed to 

reducing. SLSNZ is the leading beach and coastal safety, 

drowning prevention and rescue authority in New Zealand. 

The purpose of the organisation is to enable everyone to 

enjoy New Zealand’s beaches safely with a vision of zero 

preventable drownings. 

The New Zealand coastline varies dramatically. The west 

coast is exposed to the energetic Tasman Sea whereas the 

east coast faces the South Pacific Ocean, which at times 

can be just as dangerous. The coastline of New Zealand 

is approximately 15,000km in length, the ninth longest 

coastline of any nation in the world. New Zealand beaches 

and coastal areas are known to be some of the most 

beautiful. However, our nation has a shocking annual beach 

and coastal drowning toll. 

During the last 10 years, there has been an average of 32 

fatal drownings per year, which is a 70% higher beach and 

coastal drowning rate per capita, compared to Australia. 

Despite some drowning trends in New Zealand being on 

the decline (Water Safety New Zealand, 2019b), beach and 

coastal drownings are on the increase. 

In order to help understand the problem in more detail, 

SLSNZ has produced this report, which although based on 

a similar report that our sister organisation Surf Life Saving 

Australia has been producing for some time, is the first of its 

kind here in New Zealand. It is designed to complement the 

National Drowning Report produced by Water Safety New 

Zealand and to contribute to the New Zealand Water Safety 

Sector Strategy. The report provides an analysis of fatal and 

non-fatal drownings and rescues where a fatal or non-fatal 

drowning has been averted. It compares data from 2018- 

19 with the 10-year average from July 2009 - June 2019. 

It also provides both a national and regional overview with 

a breakdown of who is drowning, where they are drowning 

and what they are doing when they drown. 

The report in itself does not provide answers, it simply 

provides the data in such a way that highlights the problem 

and will aid further analysis to help provide potential 

solutions. SLSNZ will continue to undertake a comprehensive 

Coastal Risk Assessment process using information gained 

from more in-depth studies of each fatal and non-fatal 

drowning as well as rescues. Using this information, 

SLSNZ will work with Central and Local Government, key 

landowners and stakeholders to clarify the responsibility 

for beach and coastal safety and then, using an evidencebased, 

collaborative and partnership approach, provide 

targeted safety interventions at local, regional and national 

levels that lead towards a safer future for all those that visit 

and recreate on beaches along New Zealand’s coastline. 

This report is our way of drawing a line in the sand. 

We, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, are saying “enough 

is enough”. No more unnecessary deaths from 

drowning on our beaches and along our coastline. 

We call on those who have the authority, the legal or the 

moral responsibility, to work with us and our drowning 

prevention partners to stop the death toll from getting 

worse, and to reduce it to a level where we can be proud as 

an island nation to say ‘we have no preventable drownings 

on our beach and coastal areas’. 

The National Beach and Coastal Safety Report only documents 

incidents that have occurred within the coastal zone. The coastal 

zone is defined as “Tidal waters (estuary, harbour, marina and 

river/harbour bar); ocean up to 1km offshore; or inland up to five 

times the width of the inlet/river”. 

“Boating” is defined as either a powered vessel or a sailing boat. 

“Watercraft” is defined as a piece of non-powered recreational 

equipment used in water, e.g. surfboards, stand-up paddleboards, 

body boards, windsurfers or kayaks. 

• Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings are increasing. In 

the last five years, there has been a 37% rise compared to 

the previous five years (27 to 37 per year). Even allowing 

for population growth, the fatal drowning rate has still risen 

by 21% (0.70 to 0.85 per 100,000 pop). 

• New Zealand now has a 70% higher beach and 

coastal drowning rate per capita, compared to Australia. 

• It is adults over the age of 15, not children who are 

significantly more likely to die from beach and coastal 

drowning. Although marginally more than the other age 

categories, those from 35-44 are the most ‘at risk’. 

• Children and adolescents (0-14 years old) are grossly 

over-represented in the fatal to non-fatal drowning 

statistics. For every child and adolescent that fatally drowns, 

there are 15 that are hospitalised having suffered from nonfatal 

drowning. 

• Of those who do die from drowning, males represent 

89% and females only 11%. In 2018-19 the percentage of 

men dropped slightly, but in general, men are still much 

more likely to drown on our beaches and the coastline than 

women. This is also true of non-fatal drownings. 

• Over the last 10 years, Pacific Peoples had the highest 

drowning rate (1.69 per 100,000pop) of any ethnicity, 

closely followed by Maori (1.27 per 100,000pop). 

• Over the last 10 years, there were 144 beach and 

coastal drowning fatalities during the three summer 

months of December, January and February. This figure 

represents nearly half of the total annual beach and coastal 

drowning fatalities recorded, highlighting the increased risk 

associated with the busy summer season. 

• Over the last 10 years, swimming/wading, falling 

(trips/slips) and boating have been the highest risk 

activities on the coast. Last year rock fishing and watercraft 

recreation were the joint highest risk activities, followed by 

swimming/wading. 

• With an average number of six fatal drownings per 

year, Northland is statistically the region which poses 

the greatest risk to beach visitors. While Auckland has a 

higher average number of fatal drownings per year (n = 

10), the rate of drownings per 100,000 in Northland is 3.91, 

whereas Auckland (with a much larger population), has a 

drowning rate of only 0.63. Therefore, the risk of drowning 

on the beach or coast in Northland is more than six times 

greater than Auckland 2 . 

• Over the last 10 years, Surf Lifeguards have carried 

out more than 11,000 rescues. That is a huge number of 

fatal drownings that have been potentially averted because 

of the vital role that SLSNZ performs. 

• SLSNZ also saves lives on the beaches as well as 

in the sea. All Surf Lifeguards are first aid trained and 

many are trained as First Responders. Over the last 10 

years, Surf Lifeguards have treated nearly 20,000 people 

who have required both minor and major first aid. SLSNZ is 

currently partnering with St John Ambulance to increase the 

level of care it provides the New Zealand public. 

• As part of the ‘National Search and Rescue 

Framework’, Volunteer SLSNZ Clubs are regularly called 

upon by the Police to respond to incidents out of hours. 

These call outs have significantly increased in recent years 

as more and more people require our services. 

New Zealand has one of the 

highest Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drowning Rate in the OECD 1 . Our 

Fatal Drowning Toll is something 

every New Zealander should see as 

a national tragedy and we all have a 

responsibility to address. 

1 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a 

group of 34 member countries that discuss and develop economic and social 

policy. OECD members are democratic countries that support free-market 

economies. 

2 The population figures are based on those residing in the region, and do not 

include visitors. To gain a true picture of the ‘drowning risk’ in any area, future 

reports will attempt to allow for the seasonal influx of visitors. 

SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL BEACH & COASTAL SAFETY REPORT SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND SYNOPSIS & KEY FINDINGS 

06 07

CAPABILITY 

SECTION ONE 


948,130 

PREVENTATIVE 

ACTIONS 

11,065 

RESCUES 

5002 

ASSISTS 

INVOLVING 

3,649,523 

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC 

40 

EMERGENCY 

CALLOUT SQUADS 

2,910 

SEARCHES 

19,614 

FIRST AID 

TREATMENTS

CAPABILITY 

CAPABILITY 

Surf Life Saving New Zealand has provided a Surf Lifeguard 

service to the NZ public for 109 years. The service consists 

of 74 volunteer Surf Life Saving Clubs and Contract Surf 

Lifeguard Service. When combined, these services patrol a 

total of 89 locations country-wide. Between 2018-19 there 

were 4903 qualified Surf Lifeguards, with 982 gaining their 

Surf Lifeguard Award during the season. Beyond the red and 

yellow flags, SLSNZ provides surveillance at many remote 

beaches and coastlines through a fleet of Inflatable Rescue 

Boats (IRB), Rescue Water Craft (RWC), All-Terrain Vehicles 

(ATV) and 4x4’s, and delivers an invaluable Search and 

Rescue service, through a network of club-based volunteer 

Emergency Callout Squads. 

VOLUNTEER SURF LIFEGUARDS 

Seasonal patrols are provided by 74 volunteer Surf Life 

Saving Clubs, with patrols typically occurring between 

Labour weekend (October) and Easter (April). Over the past 

few years, SLSNZ clubs have strategically adapted season 

lengths and daily patrol timings to meet the ever-changing 

demands of the communities they serve. The recommended 

Surf Lifeguard service requirements are evidence-based 

and derived from coastal risk assessments, which have 

been tailored towards existing patrol locations nationally. 

The coastal risk assessments also recommend new patrol 

locations, based upon risk-adjusted water use values for 

each site. SLSNZ works with SLS clubs, communities and 

stakeholders to deliver services to areas with the greatest 

need. 

Volunteer clubs use standardised equipment that includes 

Rescue Tubes, Rescue Boards, IRB and RWC to perform 

rescues and preventative actions, that stop the public getting 

into dangerous situations. The organisation also provides a 

number of surveillance patrols to increase service coverage. 

All Terrain Vehicles and 4x4 vehicles equipped with first aid 

and rescue equipment, ensure coverage is extended across 

larger stretches of coastline and remote beaches. Beyond 

the surf zone, a number of RWC provide rapid response to 

remote areas and rocky foreshores and participate in both 

surveillance and Search and Rescue activities. 

CONTRACT SURF LIFEGUARD SERVICE 

The Contract Surf Lifeguard Service is funded by Regional 

Councils and Local Territorial Authorities. Patrols primarily 

run on weekdays (Monday-Friday) through the summer 

school holidays (December-February). An evidence-based 

delivery model for the Contract Surf Lifeguard Service is 

also being used to expand services to meet community 

need. In some areas, surveillance-based patrolling methods 

have been used to extend patrolling hours into the evening, 

an approach that has been effective for preventing Surf 

Lifeguard fatigue. On-call based services have also been 

successfully trialled in the Bay of Plenty, to extend patrols 

in response to periods of prolonged settled weather and 

dangerous swimming conditions, as well as providing 

additional safety services to the public. 

SEARCH AND RESCUE 

Emergency Callout Squads are used to assist Search and 

Rescue agencies or sometimes Maritime New Zealand, in 

NZ Police tasked incidents. There are currently 40 active 

Emergency Callout Squads nationally. In 2018-19 there 

were a total of 57 Category 1 Search and Rescue operations, 

which saved a combined total of 36 lives. 

SURF LIFEGUARD INTERVENTIONS 2009-2019 

The interventions performed whilst Surf Lifeguards have 

been protecting our beaches in the last decade have 

saved countless lives. This exact figure at present cannot 

be quantified, however through these actions SLSNZ and 

it’s Volunteer Surf Lifeguards have likely saved more than 

11,000 lives. 

Table 1 

Surf Lifeguard Interventions 2009-19 (last 10yrs) 

SURF LIFEGUARD 

INTERVENTION 

TOTALS 

(2009-19) 

Rescues / Lives Saved 11,065 

Assists (new category since 2016/17) 5,002 

Preventative Actions 

Number of Public in Preventatives: 3,649,523 

948,130 

Searches 2,910 

Major First Aid Incidents 12,962 

Minor First Aid Incidents 6,652 

TOTAL INTERVENTIONS 986,721 

Figure 01 

2018–19: Qualifications Held by Surf Lifeguards 

There were a total of 4,903 proficient Surf Lifeguards in 2018-19, of which 982 were new recipients of the Surf Lifeguard 

Award. SLSNZ Surf Lifeguards currently hold a total of 9,655 awards, with 2,397 first aid awards and 1,591 craft 

qualifications (IRB and RWC). 

Figure 02 

2018-19: Patrolling Surf Lifeguards per Region 

Lifeguards (n) 

800 

700 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

FIRST AID 

2,397 

Male Lifeguards 

Female Lifeguards 

BOARD 

RESCUE 

MODULE 

540 

PATROL 

SUPPORT 

50 

ADVANCED 

LIFEGUARD 

AWARD 

320 

SURF LIFEGUARD 

AWARD 

4,903 

RADIO 

OPERATOR 

CERTIFICATE 

338 

IRB 

CREWSPERSONS 

MODULE 

536 

AUK BOP CAN GIS HKB MWT MBH NSN NTL OTA STL TKI WKO WGN WTC 

Region 

SENIOR 

LIFEGUARD 

AWARD 

PATROL 

CAPTAIN 

117 

SENIOR 

LIFEGUARD 

AWARD 

IRB DRIVER 

1,025 

RESCUE 

WATER 

CRAFT 

OPERATORS 

AWARD 

30 

SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND 

10 

NATIONAL BEACH & COASTAL SAFETY REPORT 

SECTION ONE 

11 

CAPABILITY

SURF LIFE SAVING PATROL LOCATIONS 

SURF LIFEGUARD CAPABILITY 

Figure 03 

2018–19: Surf Life Saving Patrol Locations per Region 

There are a total of 74 Surf Life Saving Clubs in New Zealand who provide voluntary patrols, during varying season lengths 

between Labour and Easter weekends. 

SAVING PATROL LOCATIONS PER REGION 

Northland 

6 

Figure 04 

2018-19: Total Volunteer Surf Life Saving Patrols and Contract Surf Lifeguard Service per Region 

There are a total of 74 Surf Life Saving Clubs in New Zealand which provide voluntary patrols, up to a maximum season 

length between Labour and Easter weekends. The Contract Surf Lifeguard Service (Monday-Friday) provides 80 Lifeguard 

Patrols nationally. 

13 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

14 

15 

12 

Volunteer Surf Life Saving Patrols 

Contract Surf Lifeguard Service 

5 

10 

Taranaki 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

5 

Patrols (n) 

9 

6 

Hawke’s Bay 

5 

3 

4 Manawatu-Wanganui 

1 Nelson 

ND Tasman 

0 

NTL AUK WKO BOP GIS TKI MWT HKB WGN NSN MBH WTC CAN OTA STL 

Region 

Wellington 

8 

Marlborough 

1 

2 

West Coast 

Canterbury 

10 

Figure 05 

2018-19: Equipment Used in a Rescue 

Figure 06 

2018-19: Patrolling Surf Lifeguards 

6% 

3% 

1 

Southland 

Otago 

6 

0 40 80 160 Kilometers 

16% 

38% 

Rescue 

Tube 

38% 

38% 

IRB 

38% 

Rescue Tube 

IRB 

Rescue Board 

RWC 

No Gear 

57% 

MALE 

43% 

FEMALE 


12 


SECTION ONE 

13 

CAPABILITY

RESCUES PER REGION 

ASSISTS PER REGION 

“Rescue - Where a person requires immediate help to return to shore (or place of safety) 

and who without intervention would have suffered distress, injury or drowning” 

“Assist - Where a person requires assistance to return to shore but would most likely be 

able to get themselves out of danger if unaided” 

Figure 07 

ESCUES 2018–19: PER Rescues REGION 

per Region 

Figure 08 

2018–19: People Assisted to Safety per Region 

ASSISTS PER REGION 

Northland 

39 

Northland 

92 

186 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

55 

311 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

160 

182 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

19 

243 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

70 

17 

Taranaki 

28 

Taranaki 

Hawke’s Bay 

29 

Hawke’s Bay 

48 


10 Nelson 

ND Tasman 


36 Nelson 

ND Tasman 

Wellington 

11 

Wellington 

114 

Marlborough 

0 

Marlborough 

0 

0 

West Coast 

Canterbury 

76 

Key to Rescues per Region 

1 - 15 Rescues 

0 

West Coast 

Canterbury 

371 

Key to Assists per Region 

1 - 50 Assists 


51 - 100 Assists 


101 - 200 Assists 


201 - 300 Assists 

> 101 Rescues 

> 301 Assists 

Otago 

58 

ND 

No Data 

Otago 

79 

ND 

No Data 

0 

Southland 


0 

Southland 



14 


SECTION ONE 

15 

CAPABILITY

MAJOR FIRST AID INCIDENTS PER REGION 

MINOR FIRST AID INCIDENTS PER REGION 

“Major First Aid - Any incident where a patient is administered some form of advanced 

medical treatment, or requires hospitalization” 

“Minor First Aid - Where a patient is administered some form of 

minor medical treatment” 

Figure 09 

R FIRST 2018–19: Major AID First INCIDENTS Aid Incidents per RegionPER REGION 

Figure 10 

MINOR FIRST 

2018–19: 

AID 

Minor First 

INCIDENTS 

Aid Incidents per Region 

PER REGION 

Northland 

15 

Northland 

142 

96 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

55 

468 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

388 

96 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

3 

821 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

30 

7 

Taranaki 

32 

Taranaki 

Hawke’s Bay 

8 

Hawke’s Bay 

49 


3 Nelson 

ND Tasman 


20 Nelson 

ND Tasman 

Wellington 

19 

Wellington 

132 

Marlborough 

0 

Marlborough 

27 

0 

West Coast 

Canterbury 13 

Key to Major First Aid Incidents 

1 - 5 Incidents 

0 

West Coast 

Canterbury 

135 

Key to Minor First Aid Incidents 








> 61 Incidents 

> 501 Incidents 

Otago 

7 

ND 

No Data 

Otago 

34 

ND 

No Data 

1 

Southland 


3 

Southland 



16 


SECTION ONE 

17 

CAPABILITY

SEARCHES PER REGION 

PREVENTATIVE ACTIONS PER REGION 

“Search - Any organised search for a missing person or group either at sea or on land. 

Searches include body recoveries” 

“Preventative Action - Direct action taken to reduce or eliminate the probability of a 

specific rescue, first aid or other reportable incident occuring” 

Figure 11 

EARCHES 

2018–19: Patrol 

PER 

Searches 

REGION 

per Region 

Figure 12 

PREVENTATIVE 

2018–19: 

ACTIONS 

Preventative Actions 

PER 

per 

REGION 

Region 

Northland 

12 

Northland 3,787 

158 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

57 

20,117 Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 13,888 

88 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

2 

34,388 Waikato 

Gisborne 2,728 

1 

Taranaki 

12,183 

Taranaki 

Hawke’s Bay 

7 

Hawke’s Bay 3,450 


6 Nelson 

ND Tasman 

1,140 Manawatu-Wanganui 

58 Nelson 

ND Tasman 

Wellington 

19 

Wellington 3,088 

Marlborough 

0 

Marlborough 

128 

0 

West Coast 

Canterbury 16 

Key to Searches per Region 

1 - 5 Searches 

0 

West Coast 

Canterbury 18,134 

Key to Preventative Actions per Region 

1 - 1,000 Actions 


1,001 - 5,000 Actions 


5,001 - 15,000 Actions 


15,001 - 25,000 Actions 

> 61 Searches 

> 25,000 Actions 

Otago 

5 

ND 

No Data 

Otago 5,197 

ND 

No Data 

0 

Southland 


21 

Southland 



18 


SECTION ONE 

19 

CAPABILITY

FATA L D R O W N I N G 

ANALYSIS 

SECTION TWO 


320 89% 

MALE 

BEACH & 

COASTAL FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

11% 

FEMALE 

LOCATION 

39% 

SURF BEACH 

15% 

ROCKY 

FORESHORE 

14% 

HARBOUR 

ACTIVITY 

22% 


20% 

FALLS 

15% 

BOATING

NATIONAL OVERVIEW 




Each fatal drowning is a tragedy in its own right; it affects 

not only close family and friends but the wider community. 

The research presented here aims to report and categorise 

fatal drownings, to better inform strategic decision making 

for preventative educational programmes and community 

engagement initiatives. The following section focuses on 

fatal drownings that have occured between 2009-19. 

Between 2009-19 there were 320 fatal drownings. 

Auckland has the highest number of fatal drownings 

(n=96), followed by Northland (n=55) and Waikato (n=31). 

Surf beaches were the most dangerous environment with 

125 fatalities, followed by fatalities that occurred 0-1 km 

from shore (n=51) and within harbours (n=46) respectively. 

The majority of beach and coastal fatal drownings occurred 

while swimming/wading (n=71) followed by incidents due to 

falls (n=65) and boating (n=47). 

Figure 13 

2009-19: Total Number of New Zealand Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings per Year (n=320); Comparison of New 

Zealand vs Australian Beach and Coastal Fatal Drowning Rates per 100,000 pop. 

Fatal Drownings (n) 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Fatal Drownings 

NZ Fatal Drowning Rate 

AUS Fatal Drowning Rate 

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

Figure 14 

2009-14 and 2014-19 Five-Year Average Beach and 

Coastal Fatal Drownings and Average Fatal Drowning 

Rate per 100,000 pop. 

2009-14 

AVERAGE 

DROWNING RATE 

0.70 

PER 100,000 POPULATION 

AVERAGE FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

27 

PER YEAR 

2014-19 

AVERAGE 

DROWNING RATE 

0.85 


AVERAGE FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

37 

PER YEAR 

The New Zealand beach and coastal fatal drowning 

numbers and fatal drowning rates per 100,000 pop. for 

2009-19 are shown above. The 2018-19 fatal drowning 

rate per 100,000 population in NZ is 0.70, which is below 

the 10-year average (0.78 per 100,000 pop.). The New 

Zealand 10-year average beach and coastal fatal drowning 

rate per 100,000 pop. is 70% higher than the Australian 10- 

year average fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. When 

comparing the first half of the decade (2009-14) to the latter 

(2014-2019), nationally there has been an increase from 27 

(2009-14) fatal drownings on average to 37 per year (2014- 

19). 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 

Fatal Drowning Rate 

(per 100,000 pop.) 

The New Zealand 10-year 

average beach and coastal fatal 

drowning rate is 70% higher than 

the Australian 10-year average, 

and is on the increase. 

Figure 15 

2009-19: Total Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings and Fatal Drowning Rate per 100,000 Population for the 16 

Regions (n=320) 

Between 2009-19 there were 320 fatal drownings. Auckland (n=96) experiences the highest fatal drowning number 

per region, followed by Northland (n=55). However, Northland had the highest average fatal drowning rate per 

region (3.29 per 100,000 pop.). 


100 

80 

65 

40 

20 

0 

AUK 

NTL 

WKO 


Average Fatal Drowning Rate 

WGN 

Figure 16 

2009-19: Age Groups and Gender Represented in 

Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings (n=320) 

Age groups above 15 years old have a fatal drowning 

toll over 44. The 35-44 age group has the highest fatal 

drowning number (n=58). The fatal drowning rate for 

males is greater than females across all age groups. The 

35-44 and 45-54 age groups have the highest Female fatal 

drowning rates. The 15-24 and 35-44 age groups have the 

highest Male fatal drowning rate. 


60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

Male 

Female 

BOP 

CAN 

HKB 

OTA 

STL 

Region 

89% 

MALE 

0 

0-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 

Age 

More adults are fatally 11% 

11% 

drowning than children FEMALE 

TKI 

WTC 

MWT 

TAS 

More males are fatally 

drowning than females 

89% 

MBH 

MALE 

GIS 

NSN 

3.5 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

MALE 

11% 

89% 

FEMALE 

FEMALE 


22 


SECTION TWO FATAL DROWNING ANALYSIS / 10 YEAR OVERVIEW 2009-19 

23





Figure 17 

2009-19 (10-Year Average) and 2018-19: Total Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings by Ethnicity 

When analysing total fatal drownings per ethnicity, NZ Europeans represented the highest number (n=11) of total fatal 

drownings on average per year (2009-19), followed by Maori (n=9) and Pacific People (n=5). In 2018-19, the Asian fatal 

drowning total (n=6) was the only total that exceeded the 10-year average. NZ European (n=9), Maori (n=7) and Pacific 

Peoples (n=3) all had fatal drowning totals that dropped below their 10-year averages. 


Rate (per 100,000 pop.) 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

2.0 

1.5 

1.04 

0.5 

0 

Average Fatal Drownings per Year (2009-19) 

Total Fatal Drownings (2018-19) 

ASIAN MAORI NZ EUROPEAN PACIFIC PEOPLES OTHER* 

Fatal Drowning Rate (2009-19) 

Fatal Drowning Rate (2018-19) 

Ethnicity 

Figure 18 

2009-19 (10-year average) and 2018-19: Beach and Coastal Fatal Drowning Rates by Ethnicity 

Between 2009-19, Pacific Peoples recorded the highest fatal drowning rate (1.69 per 100,000 pop.) of any ethnicity, 

followed by Maori (1.27 per 100,000 pop.) and Asian ethnicities (0.92 per 100,000 pop.). In 2018/19, Maori represented 

the highest fatal drowning rate of any ethnicity (0.92 per 100,000 pop.), closely followed by Asian (0.85 per 100,000 pop.) 

and Pacific Peoples (0.79 per 100,000 pop.). However, in 2018-19 all ethnicities recorded a drop in their fatal drowning 

rates when compared to the 10-year average. 

ASIAN MAORI NZ EUROPEAN PACIFIC PEOPLES OTHER* 

Ethnicity 

Between 2009-19, Pacific Peoples recorded the highest fatal 

drowning rate (1.69 per 100,000 pop.) of any ethnicity 

(*represents all other ethnicities) 

(*represents all other ethnicities) 

Figure 19 

2009-19: Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings by Month (n=320) 

The highest percentage of beach and coastal fatal drownings occurred in January (n=56), followed by December (n=44) 

and February (n=44). Between 2009-19, 55% of drownings occurred outside of the summer months. 


20 

15 

10 

5 

0 


Summer Season 

JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN 

Figure 20 

2009-19 (10-year average) and 2018-199 Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings per Activity 

The listed activities below represent the top eight causes of fatal drowning on beach and coastal areas (2009-19) and inform 

our national coastal safety priorities. In 2018-19, the number of drowning deaths while snorkelling, rock fishing, shell/net 

fishing, attempting a rescue and using watercraft were above the 10-year average. Swimming/wading, boating and fallrelated 

incidents were below the 10-year average. 

SWIMMING / WADING 

FALL 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

7 

2009-19 

7 

2009-19 

5 

2009-19 

3 

2018-19 

6 

2018-19 

3 

2018-19 

0 

2018-19 

7 

Year 

SNORKELLING 

2009-19 

3 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

3 

NET / SHELL FISHING 

2009-19 

2 

ATTEMPTING A RESCUE 

2009-19 

2 

2018-19 

5 

2018-19 

7 

2018-19 

1 

2018-19 

2 



SECTION TWO FATAL DROWNING ANALYSIS / 10 YEAR OVERVIEW 2009-19 

24 25

2009-19 NZ FATAL DROWNINGS PER REGION 

10 YEAR OVERVIEW | 2009-19 

Fatal Drownings Per Region 

Northland 

55 

96 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

23 

34 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

2 

8 

Taranaki 

Hawke’s Bay 

16 

4 

4 

Manawatu-Wanganui 

Tasman 

ND 

Nelson 

Wellington 

27 

Marlborough 

3 

7 

West Coast 

Canterbury 

18 

Key to 2009-19 Fatal Drownings 

1 - 5 Fatal Drownings 




> 51 Fatal Drownings 

Otago 

13 

ND 

No Data 

10 

Southland 


SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL BEACH AND COASTAL SAFETY REPORT SECTION TWO FATAL DROWNING ANALYSIS / 10 YEAR OVERVIEW 2009-19 

26 27

FATA L D R O W N I N G 

ANALYSIS 

SECTION THREE 


33 

82% 

MALE 

BEACH & 

COASTAL FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

18% 

FEMALE 

LOCATION 

49% 

SURF BEACH 

18% 

ROCKY 

FORESHORE 

9% 

HARBOUR 

ACTIVITY 

21% 

ROCK FISHING 

21% 

WATERCRAFT 

18% 

SWIMMING/WADING





In 2018-19 there were 33 fatal drownings on beach and coastal areas. Auckland had the highest fatalities 

per region (n=9), followed by Northland (n=7) and Waikato (n=5). 

The majority of fatalities occurred while rock fishing (n=7) and using a watercraft (n=7), followed by 

swimming/wading (n=6). 

Surf beaches were the most dangerous environment with nearly half (n=16) of all fatalities occurring here. 

Figure 22 

2018-19: Total Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings per Region (n=33) 

8-19 FATAL DROWNINGS PER REGION 

LOCATION 

49% 

SURF BEACH 

ACTIVITY 

2 Southland 

21% 

ROCK FISHING 

33 

9 Auckland 82% 

MALE 

5 Waikato 

18% 

BEACH & 

COASTAL FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

0 

18% 

ROCKY 

FORESHORE 

West Coast 

0 

21% 

WATERCRAFT 

0 

Otago 4 

Taranaki 

Northland 

FEMALE 


ND Nelson 

Tasman 

9% 

HARBOUR 

18% 



7 

Marlborough 1 

Canterbury 0 

Key to 2018-19 Fatal Drownings 

ND 

Bay of Plenty 

Wellington 

3 

1 - 2 Fatalities 




> 10 Fatalities 

No Data 

1 

Hawke’s Bay 

Gisborne 

1 

0 

Figure 23 

2018-19: Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings by Age 

and Gender (n=33) 

The age group representing the highest rate of fatal 

drownings is the 45-54 age group (0.18 rate per 

100,000 pop.). Within this age group (45-54) females made 

up almost half (44%) of the fatal drownings (n=4). Between 

2018-19, 82% of fatal drownings were male (n=27). 


10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

Male 

Female 

0-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+ 

9% 

15% 

6% 

Rock Fishing 

Watercraft 

Swimming/Wading 

6% 

Age Groups 

3% 

22% 

Rock 

Fishing 

18% 

Snorkelling 

Fall 

Scuba Diving 

22% 

21% 

0.2 

0.16 

0.12 

0.08 

0.04 

0.0 

Attempting a Rescue 

Net/Shell Fishing 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

Figure 24 

2018-19: Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings by 

Activity (n=33) 

The majority of beach and coastal fatal drownings 

occurred while rock fishing (n=7) and using watercraft 

(n=7), followed by swimming/wading (n=6). 

Figure 25 

2018-19: Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings by Month 

(n=33) 

Of the 33 fatal drownings, the majority (42%) occurred 

in January (n=8) and February (n=6). The yellow line 

indicates the 10-year average fatal drownings per month. 

June recorded 15% of all fatal drownings (n=5), with more 

than double the amount of fatal drownings when compared 

to the 10-year average (n=2). 


8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

Fatal Drownings (2018-19) 

Average Fatal Drownings (2009-19) 

0 

JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN 

Month 

Figure 26 

2018-19: Location of Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings (n=33) 

The majority of fatal drownings occurred at a surf 

beach (n=16), on rocky foreshores (n=6) or in 

harbours (n=3). 

9% 

6% 

3% 

3% 

3% 

9% 

49% 

Surf 

Beach 

18% 

Surf Beach 

Rocky Foreshore 

0-1km from Shore 

Harbour 

Estuary 

Calm Water Beach 

49% 

Marinas 

Rivers 



SECTION THREE FATAL DROWNING ANALYSIS / 1 YEAR OVERVIEW 2018-19 

30 31

N O N - FATA L 

DROWNING ANALYSIS 

SECTION FOUR 


NON-FATAL DROWNING 

A subset of drowning, the process of experiencing 

respiratory impairment from submersion/ 

immersion in liquid, where the outcome is 

classified as morbidity and no morbidity. 

253 

NON-FATAL 

DROWNING 

INCIDENTS 

AVERAGE NON-FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

PER YEAR 

25 

37% 

UNDER THE AGE OF 

25 

1:1.86 

RATIO FATAL : NON-FATAL 

DROWNING INCIDENTS 

(all ages) 

1:15 

0-14 YEARS OLD RATIO 

FATAL : NON-FATAL 

DROWNING INCIDENTS

NON-FATAL DROWNING OVERVIEW 


COMPARISON OF NON-FATAL AND 

FATAL DROWNINGS ON NEW ZEALAND 

BEACHES BETWEEN 2009-19 

The focus of drowning prevention research has long 

been on fatal drowning. However, this is only part of the 

total drowning toll. Non-fatal drowning incidents are more 

difficult to quantify but are still significant and can often 

result in life-changing injuries and illnesses. The social cost 

to New Zealand of one severe water-related injury resulting 

in hospitalisation has been estimated at $472,900 (WSNZ, 

2019). 

Between 2009 and 2019, there were 253 cases of nonfatal 

drownings recorded on beaches, representing an 

average of 25 non-fatal beach drowning cases per year. 

For this report, we have assumed beach specific non-fatal 

data includes both surf and calm water beach types. 

*The non-fatal drowning data used in this report is based 

on hospital stays of at least 24 hours and has been provided 

by WSNZ’s as recorded in DrownBase. A large amount of 

environmental coding is set to ‘large body of water’ which 

does not allow for more specific data breakdown. There 

are likely more non-fatal cases that have occurred within 

the coastal environment; however, due to the hospital 

coding limitations highlighted above, many cases are 

indeterminable at this stage. 

To calculate the ratio of fatal to non-fatal drowning 

incidents, the total number (n=136*) of fatal beach drowning 

incidents (surf beach and calm water beach) was compared 

with the total number of non-fatal beach incidents (n=253). 

The average ratio of fatal to non-fatal drowning incidents 

from 2009-19 is 1:1.86. This figure indicates that for every 

fatal beach drowning, there are 1.86 non-fatal beach 

TOTAL FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

drowning incidents. The rate is highly variable across age 

groups – children and young adolescences (0-14) show the 

highest ratio (1:15), which indicates that for every fatal beach 

drowning, there are 15 non-fatal drowning incidents. On the 

other end of the spectrum, the 55 – 64 age group represents 

the lowest ratio (1.28), indicating that for every fatal beach 

drowning death, there are 1.28 non-fatal drownings. 

TOTAL NON-FATAL 

DROWNINGS 

NON-FATAL 


253 

BETWEEN 2009-19 

37% 

AVERAGE NON-FATAL 


25 

PER YEAR 

UNDER THE AGE OF 

25 

70% 

MALE 

30% 

FEMALE 

136 * 253 

RATIO FATAL : NON-FATAL 

1 : 1.86 


FATAL : NON-FATAL 1 : 15 


FATAL : NON-FATAL 1 : 1.28 

Figure 27 

2009-19: Non-Fatal Drowning Incidents on Beaches by Year and Gender (n=253) 

Figure 28 

2009-19: Fatal and Non-Fatal Drowning Incidents on Beaches by Year (n=389) 

Non-Fatal Drownings (n) 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Female 

Male 

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

Drownings (n) 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Non-Fatal Drownings 


2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 



SECTION FOUR NON-FATAL DROWNING ANALYSIS / 10 YEAR OVERVIEW 2009-19 

34 35

REGIONAL OVERVIEWS 

NZ Regions 

SECTION FIVE 

Northland 

Auckland 

Bay of Plenty 

Waikato 

Gisborne 

Taranaki 

Hawke’s Bay 

Manawatu-Wanganui 

Tasman 

Nelson 

Wellington 

Marlborough 

West Coast 

Canterbury 

Otago 

Southland

NORTHLAND 

FATAL DROWNING SNAPSHOT 

Figure 29 

2009-19: Northland Beach and Coastal Fatal 


In 2018-19, there were seven fatal drownings in Northland. 

This figure was above the 10-year average of six. The 2018- 

19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 3.91, which is 

above the average 10-year rate (3.29); and higher than the 

rest of the country. 


10 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 

2010-11 



2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

6.0 

5.0 

4.0 

3.0 

2.0 

1.0 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 


Watercraft 


Fall 

Boating 

Snorkelling 

Rock Fishing 


Figure 31 

Comparison of Beach and Coastal Fatal Drowning Rates per Activity: 2009-19 (10-year average) and 2018-19 

In 2018-19 fatal drownings per 100,000 pop. were lower than the 10-year average (2009-19) in swimming/wading, 

snorkelling, net/shell fishing and attempting a rescue activities. However, annual drowning rates per 100,000 pop. (2018-19) 

were up in falls, boating, watercraft and rock fishing activities when compared to the 10-year average. 


SNORKELLING 

FALL 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

0.85 

2009-19 

0.29 

2009-19 

0.23 

2009-19 

0.25 

2018-19 

0.56 

2018-19 

0.56 

2018-19 

0.56 

2018-19 

2.23 

Figure 30 



Within the Northland region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred when swimming/wading (n=14), 

watercraft (n=12) and net/shell fishing (n=9). 

7% 

7% 

9% 

7% 

7% 

16% 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.54 

2009-19 

0.24 


2009-19 

0.24 


2009-19 

0.72 

25% 

22% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.56 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

10-YEAR OVERVIEW | 2009-19 1-YEAR OVERVIEW | 2018-19 

55 


Boating 

Diving / Jumping 

Fall 

Net / Shell Fishing 

Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

Swimming / Wading 

Watercraft 

TOTAL FATAL DROWNINGS: 55 

AVERAGE FATAL DROWNINGS 

6 

PER YEAR 

KEY DEMOGRAPHIC 

YEAR OLD MALE 

SWIMMERS/WADERS 

87% 

MALE 

13% 

FEMALE 

AVERAGE FATALITY 

3.29 


45+ 45+ 

YEAR OLD 

MALE BOATERS 

FATAL DROWNINGS 


7 3.91 

FATAL DROWNINGS BY LOCATION 

14% 

FATAL DROWNINGS BY ACTIVITY 

14% 

15% 

15% 

14% 


0-1 Km from Shore 

14% 

Watercraft 

Fall 

57% 


57% 

Watercraft 


Estuary 

Rivers 



57% 

57% 

38 

SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL BEACH AND COASTAL SAFETY REPORT

AUCKLAND 


Figure 32 

2009–19: Auckland Beach and Coastal Fatal 


In 2018-19, there were nine fatal drownings in Auckland. 

This was just under the 10-year average of 10. The 2018-19 

fatal drowning rate per 100,000 was 0.53, this is below the 

average 10-year rate (0.63). 


20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

Figure 33 



Within the Auckland region, the majority of beach and 


boating (n=24) and through falls (n=21). 

8% 

23% 

6% 

4% 

3% 2% 

26% 

28% 


Boating 

Fall 

Watercraft 

Rock Fishing 


Snorkelling 


Figure 34 


Fatal drownings per 100,000 population in 2018-19 were lower than the 10 year average in swimming/wading, falls, 

boating and net/shell fishing. However annual drowning rates (2018-19) were up in watercraft, snorkelling, rock fishing and 

attempting a rescue activities when compared to the 10-year average. 


FALL 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

0.17 

2009-19 

0.14 

2009-19 

0.16 

2009-19 

0.04 

2018-19 

0.12 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.06 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.02 

2009-19 

0.03 


2009-19 

0.02 


2009-19 

0.05 

2018-19 

0.06 

2018-19 

0.18 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.06 


96 


Boating 


Fall 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

93% 

MALE 

7% 

FEMALE 


Watercraft 



10 

PER YEAR 


0.63 



15-34 45+ 

YEAR OLD MALE YEAR OLD 

SWIMMERS/WADERS MALE BOATERS 



9 0.53 



11% 

11% 

11% 

11% 

11% 

11% 

Rock Fishing 


Scuba Diving 

78% 


34% 


78% 

Surf Beach Harbour Estuary 

22% 

34% 

Snorkelling 

Watercraft 


40 


WAIKATO 


Figure 35 

2009-19: Waikato Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were five fatal drownings in Waikato. This 

figure was above the 10-year average (2009-19) of three. 

The 2018-19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 

1.07, which is higher than the 10-year average drowning 

rate (0.78). 


10 

9 

8 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

Figure 36 



Within the Waikato region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred when swimming/wading (n=8) 

and due to falls (n=5). 


Fall 

Boating 


Rock Fishing 

Snorkelling 


Watercraft 

Figure 37 


In 2018-19 fatal drownings per 100,000 pop. were lower than the 10-year average (2009-19) in the following activities; 

boating, watercraft, snorkelling, net/shell fishing and falls. However, annual drowning rates per 100,000 pop. (2018-19) 

were up in swimming/wading, rock fishing and attempting a rescue activities when compared to the 10-year average. 


FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2009-19 

0.18 

2009-19 

0.12 

2009-19 

0.09 

2009-19 

0.02 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

0.43 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

2.0 

1.8 

1.6 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

13% 

13% 

13% 

4% 3% 13% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

25% 

Swimming/ 

Wading 

2009-19 

0.10 

2009-19 

0.09 


2009-19 

0.11 


2009-19 

0.02 

25% 

16% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.43 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.21 


34 


Boating 


Fall 


3 

PER YEAR 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

91% 

MALE 

9% 

FEMALE 


Watercraft 



0.78 



15-34 15-44 

YEAR OLD MALE YEAR OLD 

SWIMMERS/WADERS NET/SHELL FISHERMEN 



5 1.07 



40% 

20% 

20% 

80% 



40% 40% 

Swimming/ 

Wading 


80% 


40% 

Rock Fishing Swimming/Wading Attempting a Rescue 

42 


BAY OF PLENTY 


Figure 38 

2009-19: Bay of Plenty Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, beach and coastal drownings in the Bay of 

Plenty dropped below the 10-year average (2009-19). The 

2018-19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 0.33, 

which was lower than the 10-year average rate (0.80). 


5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 


2010-11 

Figure 39 



Within the Bay of Plenty region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred due to falls (n=8), boating (n=5) 

and swimming/wading (n=3). 

Fall 

Boating 


Snorkelling 

Rock Fishing 

Watercraft 


Figure 40 


In 2018-19 fatal drownings per 100,000 pop. were lower than the 10-year average in most activities, watercraft related 

activities were the exception. 


FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 


2014-15 

Year 

2009-19 

0.10 

2009-19 

0.80 

2009-19 

0.18 

2015-16 

2009-19 

0.07 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.33 

2018-19 

2.0 

1.8 

1.6 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

9% 

9% 

13% 

8% 

4% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

35% 

Fall 

22% 

2009-19 

0.07 

2009-19 

0.07 


2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.04 

35% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


23 


Boating 


Fall 


2 

PER YEAR 


45+ 

YEAR OLD MALES 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

86% 

MALE 

14% 

FEMALE 


Watercraft 



0.80 


FALLS 



1 0.33 


100% 

Harbour 


100% 

Watercraft 


44 


GISBORNE 


Figure 41 

2009-19: Gisborne Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings 

There were a total of two fatal drownings in the Gisborne 

region between 2009-19. These drownings occurred in back 

to back years (2013-14, 2014-15). 


2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

Figure 42 



Within the Gisborne region, one fatal drowning was related 

to snorkelling, and one was attributed to diving/jumping. 

Snorkelling 

Diving/Jumping 

Figure 43 


In 2018-19, fatal drowning rates (per 100,000 pop.) were lower than the 10-year average in all activities. 

50% 

50% 

Diving/ 

Jumping 

50% 

Snorkelling 

50% 



Boating 


Fall 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

2 


Watercraft 



0 0.00 


ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 


SNORKELLING 


FALL 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

0.00 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.21 

2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

2018-19 0.00 

JUMPING/DIVING 

2009-19 

0.21 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


AVERAGE FATAL DROWNINGS AVERAGE FATALITY 

HAWKE’S BAY 


Figure 44 

2009-19: Hawke’s Bay Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, there was a single fatal drowning in Hawke’s 

Bay, which is below the 10-year average of (n=2). The 2018- 

19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was one, which is 

lower than the average 10-year rate (1.0). 


5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

Figure 45 



Within the Hawke’s Bay region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred when attempting a rescue (n=4), 

due to falls (n=4) and swimming/wading (n=3). 


Fall 


Boating 

Rock Fishing 

Figure 46 


In 2018-19, fatal drowning rates (per 100,000 pop.) were lower than the 10-year average in all activities. However, scuba 

diving, had a rate of 0.60, which was higher than the average 10-year fatal drowning rate (0.19). 


FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2009-19 

0.18 

2009-19 

0.25 

2009-19 

0.13 

2015-16 

2009-19 

0.00 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

21% 

14% 

7% 

SNORKELLING 

29% 

Attempting 

a Rescue 

ROCK FISHING 


29% 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.06 

2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.25 

29% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 



Boating 


Fall 


2 

PER YEAR 


35-54 



Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

81% 

MALE 

19% 

FEMALE 

16 


Watercraft 



1.00 


SCUBA DIVERS 



1 0.60 


100% 



100% 

Scuba Diving 


48 


TARANAKI 


Figure 47 

2009-19: Taranaki Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were no fatal drownings in Taranaki, 

which is below the 10-year average (n=1). The 2009-19 

fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 0.71. 


4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 

2010-11 

2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 



2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

Figure 48 



Within the Taranaki region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred due to falls (n=3). 

Figure 49 



13% 

13% 

13% 

38% 

Fall 

13% 

38% 

Fall 


Boating 

Rock Fishing 



8 


Boating 


Fall 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 


Watercraft 




0 0.00 


ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 



SNORKELLING 

FALL 

2009-19 

0.09 

2018-19 

0.00 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


1 

PER YEAR 


0.71 



BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

0.27 

2009-19 

0.09 

2009-19 

0.09 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.09 


2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.09 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

88% 

MALE 

12% 

FEMALE 

ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 

50 


MANAWATU-WANGANUI 


Figure 50 

2009-19: Manawatu-Wanganui Beach and Coastal 


In 2018-19, there were no fatal drownings in Manawatu- 

Wanganui. The 2009-19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 

pop. was 0.17. 


3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

Figure 51 



Within the Manawatu-Wanganui region, three fatal 

drownings occurred when swimming/wading, one was 

related to snorkelling. 

Figure 52 




FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2009-19 

0.13 

2015-16 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

25% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

75% 

2009-19 

0.04 

2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.00 

75% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


Snorkelling 



Boating 


Fall 


WELLINGTON 


Figure 53 

2009-19: Wellington Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were three fatal drownings in Wellington, 

which is equal to the 10-year average (2009-19). The 2018- 

19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was lower than the 

average 10-year rate (0.68). 


6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2010-11 



2011-12 

Figure 54 



Within the Wellington region, the majority of beach and 


watercraft (n=5) and caused by falls (n=5). 


Fall 

Watercraft 

Snorkelling 

Boating 



Figure 55 


In 2018-19, fatal drownings per 100,000 pop. were lower than the 10-year average (2009-19) in boating, snorkelling, net/ 

shell fishing and attempting a rescue activities. However, annual drowning rates (2018-19) were up in swimming/wading, 

watercraft activities and falls when compared to the 10-year average. 


FALL 

2012-13 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2009-19 

0.18 

2009-19 

0.13 

2009-19 

0.08 

2009-19 

0.12 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

0.19 

2018-19 

0.19 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.19 

2018-19 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

0.4 

0.2 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

12% 

11% 

8% 

19% 

4% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

27% 

Swimming/ 

Wading 

2009-19 

0.07 

2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.03 


2009-19 

0.05 

27% 

19% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 



Boating 


Fall 


3 

PER YEAR 


25-34 



Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

87% 

MALE 

13% 

FEMALE 

27 

FATAL 


Watercraft 



0.68 


SWIMMERS/WADERS 



3 0.58 

DROWNINGS BY LOCATION 

33% 


33% 

34% 

Calm Water 


33% 


34% 

Fall 

33% 

34% 

Calm Water Beach Harbour Rocky Foreshore 

34% 

Fall Swimming/Wading Watercraft 

54 


TASMAN 


Figure 56 

2009-19: Tasman Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were no fatal drownings in Tasman. The 

2009-19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 0.82. 

2 



2.5 

Figure 57 



Within the Tasman region, fatal drownings occurred when 

swimming/wading (n=2), rock fishing (n=1) and shell/net 

fishing (n=1). 




0 0.00 



1 

0 

2009-10 

2010-11 

2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 

Year 

2014-15 

Figure 58 




2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

25% 

25% 

SNORKELLING 

75% 

50% 


Rock Fishing 



Boating 


Fall 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

4 


Watercraft 



ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 

FALL 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

0.42 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.23 


2009-19 

0.20 


2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


MARLBOROUGH 


Figure 59 

2009-19: Marlborough Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, there was one fatal drowning in Marlborough. 

The 2018-19 fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop was 

2.15, which is higher than the 10-year average (0.65). 


2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

Figure 60 



Within the Marlborough region, two fatal drownings were 

related to falls, and 1 was attributed to scuba diving. 

Figure 61 


In 2018-19 fatal drowing rates (per 100,000 pop.) were lower than the 10-year average in all activities, with the exception of 

falls, which had a higher rate (2.15) when compared to the 10-year average (0.43). 

34% 

66% 

Fall 

66% 

Fall 

Scuba diving 


3 


Boating 


Fall 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 


Watercraft 




1 2.15 


100% 

Marina 



SNORKELLING 

FALL 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


WEST COAST 


Figure 62 

2009-19: West Coast Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were no fatal drownings. The 2009-19 

fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop was 2.13. 


3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

2011-12 

2012-13 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

7.0 

6.0 

5.0 

4.0 

3.0 

2.0 

1.0 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

Figure 63 



Within the West Coast region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred due to snorkelling (n=3). 

Figure 64 



17% 

16% 

17% 

50% 

Fall 

50% 

Fall 



Boating 


7 


Boating 


Fall 


Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 


Watercraft 




0 0.00 


ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 



SNORKELLING 

FALL 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 


1 

PER YEAR 


2.13 



BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

2009-19 

0.91 

2009-19 

0.31 

2009-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.34 


2009-19 

0.30 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

86% 

MALE 

14% 

FEMALE 

ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 

60 


CANTERBURY 


Figure 65 

2009-19: Canterbury Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were no fatal drownings in Canterbury. 

The average 10-year fatal drowning rate per 100,000 pop. 

is 0.31 


5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

Figure 66 



Within the Canterbury region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred due to falls (n=5), swimming/ 

wading (n=3) and snorkelling (n=3). 

Fall 

Snorkelling 


Boating 

Rock Fishing 


Figure 67 




FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2015-16 

2009-19 

0.05 

2009-19 

0.09 

2009-19 

0.03 

2009-19 

0.00 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

0.8 

0.7 

0.6 

0.5 

0.4 

0.3 

0.2 

0.1 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

14% 

13% 

19% 

6% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

31% 

Fall 



29% 

2009-19 

0.05 

2009-19 

0.03 

2009-19 

0.02 

2009-19 

0.00 

31% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 



Boating 


Fall 


2 

PER YEAR 


45-64 



Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

89% 

MALE 

11% 

FEMALE 


Watercraft 



0.31 


FALLS 

18 



0 0.00 


ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 


ZERO 

Fatal 

Drownings 


62 


OTAGO 


Figure 68 

2009-19: Otago Beach and Coastal Fatal Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were four fatal drownings in Otago, which 

is above the 10-year average of one. The 2018-19 fatal 

drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 1.75, which is higher 

than the average 10-year rate (0.61). 


5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

Figure 69 



Within the Otago region, the majority of beach and coastal 

fatalities occurred due to snorkelling (n=5) and falls (n=4). 

Snorkelling 

Fall 

Boating 

Watercraft 

Rock Fishing 

Figure 70 


In 2018-19 fatal drowning rates (per 100,000 pop.) were lower than the 10-year average in most activities. Snorkelling 

related incidents were the exception. 


FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.19 

2009-19 

0.10 

2015-16 

2009-19 

0.05 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

15% 

8% 

8% 

38% 

Snorkelling 

31% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

2009-19 

0.22 

2009-19 

0.05 


2009-19 

0.00 


2009-19 

0.25 

38% 

2018-19 

1.75 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 



Boating 


Fall 


1 

PER YEAR 


15-54 



Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

81% 

MALE 

19% 

FEMALE 

13 


Watercraft 



0.61 


SNORKELLERS 



4 1.75 


50% 

50% 

0-1Km 

from Shore 

0-1Km from Shore 


100% 

Snorkelling 


50% 

Rocky 

Foreshore 


50% 

64 


SOUTHLAND 


Figure 71 

2009-19: Southland Beach and Coastal Fatal 

Drownings 

In 2018-19, there were two fatal drownings in Southland, 

just above the 10-year average of one. The 2018-19 fatal 

drowning rate per 100,000 pop. was 2.02, which is above 

the average 10-year rate (1.02). 


4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

2009-10 



2010-11 

Figure 72 



Within the Southland region, the majority of beach and 

coastal fatalities occurred when rock fishing (n=3). 

Figure 73 


In 2018-19, fatal drowning rates (per 100,000 pop.) were lower than the 10-year average in most activities, rock fishing 

incidents were the exception. 


FALL 

2011-12 

BOATING 

2012-13 

WATERCRAFT 

2013-14 

2014-15 

Year 

2009-19 

0.10 

2009-19 

0.10 

2009-19 

0.00 

2009-19 

0.10 

2015-16 

2016-17 

2017-18 

2018-19 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

3.5 

3.0 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0.0 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

12% 

12% 

12% 

13% 

SNORKELLING 

ROCK FISHING 

38% 

Rock 

Fishing 

13% 

2009-19 

0.10 

2009-19 

0.30 


2009-19 

0.11 


2009-19 

0.25 

38% 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

2.20 

2018-19 

0.00 

2018-19 

0.00 

Rock Fishing 


Snorkelling 

Watercraft 

Fall 



10 


Boating 


Fall 


1 

PER YEAR 


15-34 



Rock Fishing 

Scuba Diving 

Snorkeling 

100% 

MALE 

0% 

FEMALE 


Watercraft 



1.02 


ROCK FISHING 



2 2.02 


100% 

Rocky 

Foreshore 


100% 

Rock 

Fishing 


66 


10 YEAR ACTIVITY 

OVERVIEW 2009-19 

SECTION SIX 

71 

65 

SWIMMING/ 

WADING 

FALLS 

(TRIPS/SLIPS) 

47 

30 

27 

BOATING 

WATERCRAFT 

SNORKELLING

SNAPSHOT: SWIMMING/WADING 


2009-2019 

SNAPSHOT: FALLS 


2009-2019 

AVERAGE FATAL 

DROWNINGS PER YEAR 


71 

AVERAGE FATALITY RATE 


14 

26 

8 

AVERAGE FATAL 



65 



5 

21 

5 

7 

0.16 

1 

3 

0 

7 

0.14 

3 

8 

0 


15-34 

YEAR OLD MALES (NZ EUROPEAN) 

0 

2 

0 

3 

7 

3 


55+ 


3 

0 

2 

0 3 

5 

86% 

MALE 

14% 

FEMALE 

1 

0 

3 

78% 

MALE 

12% 

FEMALE 

1 

4 

5 

SWIMMING & WADING FATAL DROWNINGS 2009-19 

FALLS FATAL DROWNINGS 2009-19 


12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 



0.30 

0.25 

0.20 

0.15 

0.10 

0.05 


(per 100,000 pop.) 


12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 



0.25 

0.20 

0.15 

0.10 

0.05 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

0 

2009-10 

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

0.00 

0 

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

0.00 

SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND NATIONAL BEACH AND COASTAL SAFETY REPORT SECTION SIX 10 YEAR ACTIVITY OVERVIEW 2009-19 

70 71

SNAPSHOT: BOATING 


2009-2019 

SNAPSHOT: WATERCRAFT 


2009-2019 

AVERAGE FATAL 



47 



3 

24 

4 

AVERAGE FATAL 



30 



12 

7 

1 

5 

0.10 

1 

5 

0 

3 

0.07 

1 

2 

0 


55+ 

YEAR OLD MALES (PACIFIC PEOPLES) 

1 

0 

0 

0 

3 

2 


45-54 


0 

0 

0 

0 0 

5 

97% 

MALE 

3% 

FEMALE 

0 

2 

2 

90% 

MALE 

10% 

FEMALE 

1 

1 

0 

BOATING FATAL DROWNINGS 2009-19 

WATERCRAFT FATAL DROWNINGS 2009-19 

14 

12 



0.30 

0.25 

8 

7 



0.20 


10 

8 

6 

4 

0.20 

0.15 

0.10 


(per 100,000 pop.) 


6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

0.15 

0.10 

0.05 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

2 

0.05 

1 

0 

2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

0.00 

0 

2009-10 

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

0.00 


72 73

SNAPSHOT: SNORKELLING 


2009-2019 

This report is our way of drawing a 

line in the sand. We, Surf Life Saving 

New Zealand, are saying “Enough is 

Enough”. No more unnecessary deaths 

from drowning on our beaches and 

along our coastline. 


27 

4 

AVERAGE FATAL 




3 

4 

3 

0.06 

0 

2 

1 


30-54 

YEAR OLD MALES (MAORI) 

0 

0 

0 

1 

3 

0 

96% 

MALE 

4% 

FEMALE 

1 

5 

3 

SNORKELLING FATAL DROWNINGS 2009-19 


5 

4 

3 

2 

1 



0.10 

0.08 

0.06 

0.04 

0.02 


(per 100,000 pop.) 

0 

2009-10 

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 

Year 

0.00 


74 75

KEY TERMS 

Adult – For this report, adults refer to a person 15 years of 

age and over, which aligns with the Stats NZ Tatauranga 

Aotearoa classification. 

Assist – Where a person requires assistance to return to shore 

but would most likely be able to get themselves out of danger 

if unaided. 

Attempting a Rescue – Trying to retrieve a person in distress 

and deliver them to a place of safety. 

Beach – A wave-deposited accumulation of sediment – usually 

sand, but ranging in size up to boulders – deposited between 

the upper tidal limit and the offshore area where waves first 

start breaking. 

Beach Fatal Drowning – Where the location of the fatality 

occurs on a surf beach, calm water beach or rocky foreshore 

and the cause of death involves drowning or immersion. 

Boating – Using either a powered vessel or sailing boat for 

pleasure and/or fishing. 

Bystander – A person who is present at an incident but not 

part of it initially. 

Calm Water Beach – An area of estuarine coastline with sand, 

gravel or pebbles that contains a sheltered foreshore, with no 

surf zone – e.g. harbour beach. 

Coastal – Tidal waters (estuary, harbour, marina and river/ 

harbour bar); ocean up to 1km offshore; or inland up to five 

times the width of the inlet/river. 

Category 1 Search and Rescue Operations – Search and 

Rescue coordinated at a local level by the New Zealand Police; 

including land operations, river, lake and inland waterway 

operations and close-to-shore marine operations. 

Coastal Fatal Drowning – Where the location of the fatality 

is in tidal waters (estuary, harbour, marina and river/harbour 

bar), in the ocean up to 1km offshore or inland up to five 

times the width of the inlet/river and the cause of death 

includes drowning or immersion. 

Coastal Risk Assessment - A report that recommends levels 

of service provision at a location. 

Contract Surf Lifeguard Service – Surf Lifeguard services 

that are funded by regional councils and local territorial 

authorities, and managed by Surf Life Saving New Zealand 

or Surf Life Saving Northern Region 

Drowning – The process of experiencing respiratory 

impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid; outcomes 

are classified as death, morbidity and no morbidity. 

DrownBase – Database run by Water Safety New Zealand that 

collates all of the deaths from drowning in New Zealand. The 

dataset also includes information on non-fatal drownings. 

Emergency Callout Squads (ECOS) – These are made up 

of several combined clubs and volunteer surf lifeguards 

attached to external local rescue/emergency services. Squad 

members are qualified and equipped to respond to any 

incident within the beach and coastal environment. 

Emergency Response – An action taken by an SLS entity 

in response to a call for assistance from an emergency 

management organisation. 

Estuary - A partially enclosed coastal body of water that is 

either permanently or periodically open to the sea 

Falls (trips/slips) – An event that results in a person tripping/ 

slipping so they end up accidentally immersed in water. 

Fatal Drowning Rate – A comparative rate of drowning (as 

the cause of death) to the size of the population in a given 

area. 

First Aid – First aid is the first and immediate assistance given 

to any person suffering from either a minor or serious illness 

or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the 

condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. 

Harbour – Large inner body of water surrounded on several 

sides by prominences of land 

Hazard – A source of potential harm. 

Incident – Any unplanned event requiring lifesaving services 

intervention. 

Intervention – An action performed by a Surf Lifeguard to 

prevent a situation from deteriorating, which includes injury 

or drowning. Interventions include preventative actions, 

assists, rescues, searches, major first aids and minor first 

aids. 

IRB – Inflatable rescue boat. 

Major First Aid – Any incident where a victim is administered 

some form of advanced medical treatment or requires 

hospitalization. 

Marina – A boat basin offering dockage and other service for 

small craft. 

Minor First Aid - Where a victim is administered some form of 

minor medical treatment – minor cut, bluebottle sting, sand 

in the eye, minor strain or sprains. 

Morbidity – Any physical or psychological state considered 

to be outside the realm of normal well-being. The term 

morbidity is often used to describe illness, impairment, or 

degradation of health. 

Net Fishing – Using a net to trawl the shallows of a beach/ 

estuary for fish. 

Non-fatal Drowning – A subset of drowning, the process 

of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/ 

immersion in liquid, where the outcome is classified as 

morbidity and no morbidity. 

Patrol – Surf Lifeguard service to monitor activities in/around 

an aquatic environment and respond accordingly through 

either preventative actions or rescue operations. A patrol 

will use the red and yellow patrol flags to assign a safer 

swimming area. 

Patrol Flags – Red/yellow horizontally divided flags which 

are set after performing a risk assessment to determine the 

most suitable area for swimming. The flags identify a zone 

for swimming and bodyboarding within a patrolled location. 

Patrolled Location – A location supervised by a Surf Lifeguard 

service. 

Preventative Action – Direct action taken to reduce or 

eliminate the probability of a specific rescue, first aid or other 

reportable incident from occuring. 

Rescue – Where a person requires immediate help to return to 

shore (or place of safety) and who without intervention would 

have suffered distress, injury or drowning. 

Risk-Adjusted Water Use Values – Dictates how many 

lifeguards are required at patrol location at any given time. 

Rock/Cliff – A rock platform that may or may not have a high 

steep face. 

Rock Fishing – Attempting to catch fish from a coastal rock 

platform or off a groyne. 

Rocky Foreshore - The area of coastline with shoreline rocks, 

including steep rocky cliffs that is exposed by low tides and 

submerged by high tides. 

RWC – Rescue water craft or JetSki. 

Scuba Diving – Swimming underwater with the aid of scuba 

equipment for recreational or commercial purposes. 

Searches - Any organised search for a missing person or group 

either at sea or on land. Searches include body recoveries. 

Search and Rescue – The search for and provision of aid to 

people who are in distress or imminent danger. 

Season – For the context of this report, the 2018/19 season is 

for the period of July 2018 to June 2019. 

Shell Fishing – Collecting shellfish while onshore or wading/ 

swimming in water. 

Snorkelling – Swimming with a snorkel and face mask. 

Surf Beach – An area of land with sand, gravel or pebbles that 

contains a foreshore and surf zone. Surf beaches include low 

energy and exposed coasts. 

Surf Lifeguard – An individual who undertakes patrols at a 

beach. As a minimum requirement they are qualified in surf 

rescue and basic lifeguard support. 

Surf Lifeguard Service – A coordinated group that exists to 

provide aquatic safety services to the public. This includes 

Volunteer Surf Life Saving Clubs, Contract Surf Lifeguards, 

RWCs, IRB’s, ATV’s and 4WD units. 

Surf Life Saving Club – An affiliated not-for-profit organisation 

that has volunteer members who provide patrols and coastal 

safety services to the community. 

Surf Life Saving New Zealand – The leading beach and 

coastal safety, drowning prevention and rescue authority in 

New Zealand. The purpose of the organisation is to reduce 

injury and drowning on our beaches with a vision of zero 

preventable drownings. 

Surveillance Patrols – Surf Lifeguard services that monitor 

beach and water users without designating a red and yellow 

flagged area. This approach is effective for extending 

patrolling hours or season length, where resources are 

limited. 

Swimming – Moving through water by moving the body or 

parts of the body. 

Wading – Walking through water while partially immersed. 

Water Safety New Zealand – Water Safety New Zealand 

works with water safety sector organisations, individuals and 

the public to reduce the incidence of drowning and injury in 

New Zealand. The purpose is to lead a step change in New 

Zealand so people don’t drown with a vision that by 2025 

more people in New Zealand respect the water and have the 

skills, knowledge and awareness to enjoy it safely. 

Watercraft – A piece of non-powered recreational equipment 

used in water. Examples include surfboards, stand-up 

paddleboards, body boards, windsurfers or kayaks. 

SYMBOL KEY 

Male and 

Female 

Female 

and Male 

Lifeguards 

Fall 

Boating 


Fatal 

Drownings 

Rescue 

Rock Fishing 

Snorkelling 

Calm Water 


Attempting 

a Rescue 

Rescue 

Tube 

Emergency 

Callout Squad 

Net/Shell 

Fishing 

Dive 

Preventative 

Action 

IRB 

Scuba Diving 

0-1Km 

Off Shore 

Assist 

Swimming / 

Wading 

Watercraft 

Rocky 

Foreshore 

Harbour Estuary Marina River/ 

Harbour 

Bar 



SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND KEY TERMS 

76 77

REFERENCES 

METHODOLOGY 

The National Beach and Coastal Safety Report 2019 

contains information on SLS capability and membership 

capacity; rescues and emergency response; and fatal and 

non-fatal drownings for the period of 1 July 2009 to 30 June 

2019. This information is correct as of 2 September 2019. 

All care has been taken to ensure the statistical information 

included within this report is correct. However, pending the 

outcome of ongoing coronial investigations, this data may 

be amended. Data in figures may not always add up to 

100% due to rounding. 

The National Beach and Coastal Safety Report only 

documents incidents that have occurred within the 

coastal zone. The coastal zone is defined as “Tidal waters 

(estuary, harbour, marina and river/harbour bar); ocean 

up to 1km offshore; or inland up to five times the width 

of the inlet/river”. 

LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE 

RESEARCH 

The regional fatal drowning rates per 100,000 population 

use regional population estimates obtained from Stats NZ. 

However, these regional estimates do not include visitors 

from elsewhere in New Zealand or visitors from overseas. 

Further research is recommended to adjust these figures to 

account for the seasonal influx of vistors to each respective 

region. 

Regional fatal drowning data is currently unavailable 

for Nelson City Council. However, Nelson City Council’s 

respective fatal drowning data is included within the Tasman 

Region statistics. 

Further research is required to enable Surf Life Saving New 

Zealand and water safety stakeholders to gain a greater 

understanding of how and why people are recreating on our 

coastlines. Additional research is also required to understand 

how residents and international tourists use beach and 

coastal areas for recreation. Whilst applied psychological 

research is also recommended to assess public behaviour 

and perception of risk on our beaches. These findings will 

be used to inform community engagement and education 

strategies nationally. 

CAPABILITY ANALYSIS 

The Patrols and Memberships (PAM) database is a central 

repository for all Surf Life Saving clubs in New Zealand. It 

is used to log details of members (contact details, awards, 

memberships), patrols and incidents. PAM holds this 

information securely, and the data gives us an understanding 

of trends across the whole organisation. The database 

includes the Customer Relationship Management System 

(CRM) which includes operational data such as rescues, first 

aids, membership statistics and awards. Information was 

extracted from the CRM to identify how many interventions 

were performed by volunteers, lifeguards and lifesaving 

services during 2018-19; and how many active Surf 

Lifeguards and award holders there were during this period. 

FATAL DROWNING DATA ANALYSIS 

Fatal drownings statistics was recorded in DrownBase 

and shared for this report by Water Safety New Zealand 

(2019a). WSNZ gives no warranty as to the correctness of 

the information or the data provided as it is supplied to 

WSNZ by third parties, not under its control. While WSNZ 

is satisfied as to its accuracy for the purposes for which it 

is supplied to it, WSNZ shall not be liable for any loss or 

damage arising directly or indirectly from the use of any 

data supplied. All reported statistics are provisional. 

The non-fatal drowning data used in this report is based 

on hospital stays of at least 24 hours and has been provided 

by WSNZ’s as recorded in DrownBase. The data is sorted 

by the ICD-10-AM/ACHI/ACS international coding system. 

SUGGESTED CITATION: Surf Life Saving New Zealand. 

(2019). National Beach and Coastal Safety Report 2019. 

Wellington: Surf Life Saving New Zealand. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Surf Life Saving New Zealand would like to thank the 

following people and organisations for their assistance in 

the production of the inaugural National Beach & Coastal 

Safety Report. Felicity Fozard, at Water Safety New Zealand; 

Shane Daw, Jaz Lawes and Nicole Cooney, at Surf Life 

Saving Australia; Statistics New Zealand; Naveen Kumar at 

the University of Canterbury; SLSNZ regions and Volunteer 

Surf Life Saving clubs; SLSNZ would also like to thank our 

sponsors for their continued support and regional councils 

and local territorial authorities for their funding towards the 

cost of providing the Contract Lifeguard Service. 

The report was compiled by Dan Lee (Coastal Safety 

Officer), Mick Kearney (National Community Education 

Manager), Adam Wooler (Chief Operations Officer) and 

Rajal Middleton (Head of Commercial and Marketing). 

© 2019 SURF LIFE SAVING NEW ZEALAND 

This publication is copyright. Except as expressly provided 

in the Copyright Act 1968 and the Copyright Amendment Act 

2006, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in 

any retrieval systems or transmitted by any means (including 

electronic, mechanical, microcopying, photocopying, 

recording or otherwise) without prior permission from Surf 

Life Saving New Zealand. Every attempt has been made to 

trace and acknowledge copyright, but in some cases, this 

may not have been possible. Surf Life Saving New Zealand 

apologises for any accidental infringements and would 

welcome any information to redress the situation. 

REFERENCES 

Statistics New Zealand. (2018). Estimated Resident 

Population for Regional Council Areas, at 30 June (1996+) 

(Annual-Jun). Subnational population estimates tables. 

Retrieved 10th October 2019 from: http://archive.stats. 

govt.nz/browse_for_stats/population/estimates_and_ 

projections/subnational-pop-estimates-tables.aspx 

Water Safety New Zealand. (2015). New Zealand Water 

Safety Sector Strategy 2020. https://cdnflightdec.userfirst. 

co.nz/uploads/sites/watersafety/files/PDFs/Official_ 

Documents/Sector-Strategy-Published-Version-Aug-2015. 

pdf 

Water Safety New Zealand. (2019a). Coastal drowning 

deaths 2009-2018 [Figures / Table / Graph]. Retrieved from 

DrownBase database. 

Water Safety New Zealand. (2019b). The drowning report 

2018. https://drowningreport.watersafety.org.nz/ 

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL 

Cover, pages 8-9, and 75, by Cody Keepa - Keepa Digital. 

Pages 20-21, 28-29, 36-37, by Tim Marshal on Unsplash. 

Pages 32-33, by Douglas Bagg on Unsplash. 

Pages 68-69, by Grace Caadiang on Unslpash. 


78 

NATIONAL BEACH AND COASTAL SAFETY REPORT 


79 

REFERENCES

CONTACT INFORMATION 

Surf Life Saving New Zealand 

Phone: +64 4 560 0383 

E-Mail: communications@surflifesaving.org.nz

SLSNZ NATIONAL Beach & Coastal Safety Report

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