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The drowning of a little girl that left a family with a broken heart and near tragedy a few hours later has sparked a warning for all parents and caregivers this summer.
While the exact circumstances surrounding the incidents remain unclear, both involved young children in and around the water on a national holiday, prompting a Water Safety advisory for all children under the age of five to be supervised. Constantly and actively in the water.
At around 4.35pm on Monday, police, an ambulance and a rescue helicopter were called to Lake Rotokawau, a small lake east of Rotorua, after a girl drowned.
The local kaumātua, Dr. Ken Kennedy, was told that the girl was four years old.
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Benn Bathgate / Stuff
A rāhui was placed at Lake Rotokawau, east of Lake Rotorua, after a girl drowned there on Monday afternoon.
Kennedy, who is co-chair of the Ngāti Rangiteaorere Koromatua Council, was among those who performed karakia at the site on Tuesday and placed a rāhui on the lake. Police said the girl’s death had been referred to the coroner.
Three and a half hours later, a near-tragedy unfolded at Miranda Holiday Park on the Firth of Thames.
Firefighters were the first responders at the scene and arrived shortly after 8 pm.
The girl had already been pulled from the pool when firefighters from the Ngatea Volunteer Fire Brigade arrived, Fire Chief Miles Shelley said. Stuff.
Tom Lee / Stuff
Police said it appeared that a medical event may have triggered the incident, but St John said it was a water incident.
“We just assist people because there was no ambulance there when we first arrived.
“I gave them oxygen and whatever, and we did what we could.”
Shelley did not attend the call, but understood that the girl was around five years old.
She was in serious condition when she was flown to Starship by rescue helicopter, an alert from St John said. She was stable on Tuesday.
“Whoever took her out obviously did everything right to keep her alive if she’s stable this morning… Between what they did and what the firefighters did before the ambulance arrived. [it] it was enough to keep the girl going, ”Shelley said.
He echoed the reminder to keep a close eye on the children around the water, noting that he had been swimming with his granddaughter shortly before the siren sounded.
St John described the call as a water incident, but a police spokeswoman said a medical event may have triggered it.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with [the girl] and his family, ”said a statement from Miranda Holiday Park on Tuesday morning.
Soon after, the park reported that he was recovering well.
“We have listened to and confronted his family! Very happy for her and her family! But this is a good reminder to keep our children safe and watch over them at all times, as accidents can happen in the blink of an eye. “
While few details have been released about what led to these incidents, parents are reminded to keep children close at hand as the return of warm weather tempts people to get into the water.
“We all know how fast young children can move if they want to, so it’s critical that you keep an eye on them at all times when they’re near water,” said Ben Christie, spokesperson for Water Safety NZ.
“Especially when people are on vacation, traveling to different places that they may not be familiar with. It is essential that people are aware of the dangers of water or the possible dangers of drowning and make sure that children do not have access to them ”.
Anything from a paddling pool to a bucket of water could pose a drowning risk for young children, he said.
Children under the age of five around water need constant and active adult supervision, Christie said.
That means putting down the phone and keeping your eyes on them, as it takes less than 30 seconds for a child to drown.
“Every preventable drowning death is a tragedy for a family and a community.”
There were 69 drowning deaths in 2020 that were deemed preventable, based on data provided to Water Safety NZ.
Four of them were children under the age of four, but the 15-25 age group had the highest number of deaths overall – 14 during the year.
