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This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
A study of drowning cases found that most of the missing people in New Zealand were not wearing a life jacket when found, reinforcing the importance of safety equipment.
The University of Auckland study, considered the first and largest of its kind in the world, reviewed 219 deaths from 2008 and 2017.
It showed that only four percent of the missing people were wearing a life jacket when they were found, and men made up 92 percent of the missing.
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Only a small proportion of missing persons were not located (9 percent) or the result was not reported (6 percent), according to the report.
Study spokesman Dr Jonathon Webber of the University of Auckland said the main goal of the research was to clarify how long it took to locate the bodies of people who disappeared into the ocean and how far the bodies traveled from the ocean. entry point to the water.
Dan Cook / RNZ
Muriwai Beach the day after a Burmese couple drowned while fishing off the rocks.
He said the study found that the bodies of most of the missing people (58 percent) were recovered within 24 hours after the searches began and 64 percent were located within 1 km of where they disappeared.
“That second statistic was unexpected, as was the finding that the majority of the incidents, 47 percent, occurred on the east coast of the North Island. You may have expected the west coast, which has surf conditions much more challenging, I beat the list, but that was not the case. “
Maori, Pasifika overrepresented
The study also found that the average age of drowning victims was 41.9 years. In terms of ethnicity, 37% were European New Zealanders, 12% Asian, 24% Maori and 19% Pasifika.
Dr. Webber said the latter two were overrepresented in the statistics compared to their percentages in the population, perhaps due to food-gathering and fishing activities.
“Some of the places for those activities, for example near the rocks, are extremely dangerous places. We have had historical incidents of boats being overloaded and not wearing the proper safety equipment,” he said.
The most frequent activities the victims participated in before disappearing were boating (31 percent), swimming (20 percent), fishing (18 percent), and diving / snorkeling (16 percent).
“It also confirms what we already know are high-risk groups: men, adults boating, youth swimming, and Asians, Maori and Pasifika fishing,” said Dr. Webber.
“It really reinforces the message that people on boats should wear a life jacket whenever possible and potentially, if they were, we would see fewer lives drowned in these types of activities.”
Dr. Webber added that limitations in the study design meant it was difficult to know whether the missing person was recovered offshore or offshore, and several other variables were unclear or well documented, he said.
“Future research in this area, along with better data collection at the scene, could better inform real-time predictive modeling of where and when a missing person is likely to be found.”
Surf Life Saving Northern Region Executive Director Matt Williams said that research compiled by his industry partners continued to be a valuable and welcome contribution to understanding the issues behind New Zealand’s coastal drowning statistics.
“It reinforces our belief that loss of life around our shores is a national problem that needs attention. Drowning is a wide-ranging problem that affects all ages and demographic groups, and continues to cost us significantly. communities “.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and republished with permission.
