Water sense pleases lifeguards

Lifeguards are relieved water safety messages seem to have sunk in over the holiday period, making Otago beaches some of the safest in the country.

Television "learn to swim" campaigns, combined with the popularity of prime-time show Piha Rescue and locally run beach education programmes, had raised awareness of water safety issues, Surf Life Saving Otago Southland district manager Phil Hudson said.

"I think the awareness of knowing your limitations has increased, and it is also really pleasing to see swimmers between flags and lifeguards being proactive.

"We would like to think [the] beach smart message is getting through. The public have been enjoying themselves and there were no major incidents on Otago beaches."

Over the past 14 years, up to 5000 intermediate and primary pupils from Oamaru, Invercargill and the Lakes District had attended beach education lessons in Otago.

Otago beaches were patrolled by about 220 lifeguards, including volunteers at weekends and guards contracted to the Dunedin City Council during the school holidays.

Mr Hudson said since patrolling season began in November, Otago lifeguards had performed 20 rescues, given first aid 23 times and been involved in four missing persons searches.

"There have been no fatalities," he said, adding that the beaches had been "some of the safest in New Zealand".

St Clair lifeguard Joel Davies, of Dunedin, said during hot weather after Christmas there were often up to 100 bathers at the beach; the majority swam between flags and had complied with the lifeguard's instructions.

A rescue of two Dunedin girls aged 10 and 12 on Labour Day showed how quickly swimmers could get into difficulty.

"They got caught in a rip and there was no patrol that early in season. Two off-duty lifeguards jumped in [the inflatable rescue boat] and pulled them out.

"It would have been no more than 10 minutes from them getting into the water to being in trouble - it was very touch and go," he said.

The main reason for water users getting into trouble was overestimating ability and "not identifying rips", he said.

St Kilda lifeguard Jamie Torrance said the 50 to 100 swimmers on the beach last week showed "good common sense, and stayed between the flags".

St Clair-based lifeguard Steph Laughton, of Dunedin, patrolled at Warrington beach over the holiday period.

"It was crazy but quietened down once the domain emptied out. It is a great, safe beach and we had lots of family groups and locals, often up to 70 in the water.

"We even had dolphins turning up to swim near the people."

However, several times last week lifeguards spoke to tourists who were swimming outside the flagged area.

Brighton Surf Life Saving Club captain Scott Weatherall said increased beach use in recent years had not caused more incidents, and the club had not been called to any boats in difficulties at the Taieri River mouth sand bar.