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Supplied/Stuff
Survivor Apurva Modi, centre, was swimming with Saurin Nayakumar Patel, left and Anshul Shah, right when the trio got into trouble. Patel and Shah later died.
Losing nephew Anshul Shah, and Shah’s friend Saurin Nayakumar Patel out at sea, was devastating for the families, Auckland resident Jaimini Joshi says.
“They [family members] feel lonely, regretful as these young lives could have been saved.”
Shah, 32, and Patel, 27, lost their lives after getting sucked underwater while they were swimming in shallows at Auckland’s Piha beach early this year.
“These are deaths not caused by epidemics, but human errors as people don’t follow instructions,” Joshi says.
“Precious lives can be saved by [taking the] simple step to go to the beach with someone who knows swimming, check weather forecast and be in the area that has lifeguards.”
Water Safety New Zealand’s projections show 2023 is expected to be the worst year of drowning fatalities this century with a predicted 100 lives to be lost.
WATER SAFETY NEW ZEALAND
It takes less than a minute for a child to drown, whether they are near a bathtub, pool, river or ocean. Water Safety New Zealand reminds adults active and constant supervision of minors saves lives.
The total number of fatalities as of September 18, 2023 is already 61.
Water Safety NZ chief executive Daniel Gerrard said, “We are gravely concerned about what this might mean for us all, according to the modelling we may lose 40 more lives in 2023. That could be as high as one person every three days though to Christmas.”
“Make sure your boat has been serviced, ensure the whole family are wearing life jackets, double-check your dive equipment, and seriously stop to think about your personal water competence before diving into your favoured water activities.”
Drowning Prevention Auckland’s chief executive Nicola Keen-Biggelaar said when someone dies through drowning it has a significant effect on whanau and community.
“It is preventable. The key message is you should know how to float. It is a simple thing to know.
“We want everyone to enjoy this beautiful country and go back home at the end of the day.”
2022 saw the worst drowning year in a decade, with 94 people losing their lives, marking a decade-high.
In 2022, craft-related incidents emerged as the primary cause for concern, accounting for 29 fatalities. Swimming [playing in the water], traditionally the main cause of recreational drownings, reported 19 deaths.
Further compounding concerns is the ongoing disproportionate representation of Māori and Pasifika.
A significant number of Māori casualties occurred during activities like swimming (playing in the water), boating, and while underwater, particularly if kai gathering, said Water Safety New Zealand.
Drowning Prevention Auckland offers a free of cost e-learning platform in a few languages.
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