Listen Now: 
Download AudioWater Safety New Zealand kaihautu Rob Hewitt, says he’s deeply saddened at the high rate of drownings around Aotearoa.
Last year was one of the worst ever with 93 people losing their life in the water, and 2023 has got off to a terrible start.
The former navy diver says the most at risk are pākeha males in power boats, Māori men gathering kai under water, Asian men fishing from rocks, and Pasifika men fishing from boats.
It’s whānau that suffer the most.
“All we wanted you to do is go out, enjoy your time out on the water but come home. You know, we need you to come home safe. We need you to come home to your wife and to your kids. We need you to come home so that we don’t go through this,” Mr Hewitt says.
Over-confidence and under-fitness are two of the most common reasons for drownings.
RELATED NEWS
