Conflicting statistics reveal kiwis are at higher risk of drowning in first global study

Just hearing the lapping of the tide brought Paris Schlooz to the brink of a panic attack the first time she visited a beach after nearly drowning a year ago.

An impromptu swim with her sister in Muriwai, on Auckland’s notoriously dangerous west coast, on 8 November last year quickly went awry.

But the 17-year-old managed to avoid being counted among New Zealand’s drowning statistics thanks to off-duty lifeguards relaxing on the beach.

“I’ve only been to the beach once since then and I didn’t go in the water,” Schlooz said.

“It was a very quiet beach, there were very few waves and I really struggled just listening and I was like ‘Mom, can we go?’

“I’ve been struggling a bit. It’s made me think a lot about life, that I could have died.”

Paris was one of the lucky ones.

Risk-taking on unguarded shores contributed to 219 drownings between 2008 and 2017.

A University of Auckland study published today has analyzed death statistics to find common characteristics.

The most obvious finding is that 92 percent of the kiwis that disappear off our coast are men.

The most frequent activities of drowning victims were boating (31 percent), swimming (20 percent), fishing (18 percent), and diving / snorkeling (16 percent).

Study co-author Dr. Jonathon Webber said the research originally aimed to determine how long it took to find the bodies of people who disappeared into the ocean.

Fifty-eight percent were found within 24 hours and 64 percent within 1 km of where they disappeared.

“It also confirms what we already know are high-risk groups: men, adults boating, youth swimming, and Asians, Maori and Pasifika fishing,” Webber said.

A big surprise was that 47 percent of the drownings occurred on the east coast of the North Island.

“I could have expected the west coast, which has much more challenging surf conditions, to top the list, but that was not the case,” Webber said.

The study reviewed statistics from Water Safety New Zealand and found that the average age of drowning victims was 41.9 years.

In terms of ethnicity: 37% were European from New Zealand, 12% were Asian, 24% were Maori and 19% Pasifika. The last two were over-represented in the statistics compared to their percentages in the population.

Ninety-six percent of the people were not wearing a life jacket when they recovered their body.

Schlooz, a high school student from Manurewa, now admits that reckless behavior landed her in the hospital after nearly drowning.

After 16 years, Schlooz accompanied his older sister Maddison, 19, and some of their friends to the west coast beach to swim while on school leave.

“I remember in the car I was the one who suggested we go to Muriwai. I think we were all pretty new,” Schlooz said.

“I was very excited and we all ran to the beach. I didn’t look at the water. There was no one around. I was like yay, empty beach free.”

Schlooz said the seabed rapidly varied in depth, and suddenly she and the rest of the group could no longer touch the bottom.

“Suddenly the water got much deeper. My sister says ‘guys, it’s a tear, come back’ and at that moment I started to freak out. There were huge waves.”

If it wasn’t for Maddison managing to swim out of the waves and seek help, Schlooz says she wouldn’t be alive today.

“It was maybe like 15 or 20 minutes. I was lying on my back before three or four surfers came out and rescued us. I was told I was in and out of consciousness. I had really given up already.

“Everything I’ve ever thought about drowning is very different. To be completely honest, at the time I wanted it to end. Just trying to stay above the water was very difficult.”

An Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust helicopter was called in and Schlooz flew to Middlemore Hospital in serious condition.

One night’s stay helped her recover from having so much water on her chest.

Counseling over the past year helped Schlooz process what happened that day, but she says the experience is still stark.

“I’ve had a couple of panic attacks over things that weren’t even really water-related, a couple of triggers,” he said.

“That day was very hard, it was very traumatic. Just to think that there was so much that I had not done in life and that perhaps I had not had the opportunity to do it.”