Twelve ''wet rescues'' in the past year are pretty good odds, considering the thousands who make use of Moana Pool, but staff are warning parents to be vigilant as summer approaches.
Dunedin City Council aquatic services manager Paulien Leijnse said although the number of rescues at Moana Pool in the past year had been relatively low, parents should not be complacent when their children were swimming.
''The majority of [parents] are good, [but] there's always that someone is distracted by their phone,'' Ms Leijnse said.
''When a situation is created because people are not in control of their kids, [only then] will [lifeguards] intervene.''
Parents' inattention to their children was the biggest problem and if their child was younger than 5, they needed to be within arm's reach.
''Prevention is the key,'' Ms Leijnse said.
It should not be the shock of a child being rescued that resulted in parents being more proactive.
Moana Pool staff supervisor Mandy Grieve said the best thing for parents was to provide ''active supervision'' and be in the water with the child.
''Some parents actually overestimate the [swimming] ability of their children,'' she said.
''Have fun with them and get in the water with them.''
With a bumper summer forecast, people are also expected to flock to the beaches.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand South Island regional manager Stu Bryce said ''active engagement'' by parents around water was essential: ''Just not sitting up the back reading the paper ... or on their phones.
''We patrol between the red and yellow flags. We obviously can't patrol every coastline in New Zealand.''
