Lifeguards around Aotearoa worked 7,893 hours over the past week, from Monday 1 to Sunday 7 December, as warm weather drove strong visitor numbers to many beaches.

Across the country, lifeguards performed 61 rescues, assisted 65 people, and undertook 1,199 preventative actions, reaching more than 13,000 people with safety guidance before harm occurred.

Paid weekday lifeguard services are now operating at several beaches, with Bethells Beach on Auckland’s west coast starting their weekday patrols from today. And, after a mass, lowlight rescue of three swimmers last night (Sunday 7 December), Bethells Beach Surf Lifesaving Club President Dan Harvey wants beachgoers to be more aware of the risks.

The Sunday evening rescue occurred just after sunset when volunteer patrols had finished for the day. Two local lifeguards were fortunately still on the beach and became aware of three people in a rip approximately 100-150m out and called 111. The SAR callout team responded in two IRBs (inflatable rescue boats) and rescued all three swimmers, who were given medical care before being handed over to an ambulance crew.

Harvey says of the incident; “It was after sunset and no helicopter support was immediately available, so we were racing the dark. The three people had been in the water for up to twenty minutes by the time they were rescued, they were hypothermic and close to going under. Without that rapid rescue response, we’d be talking about a very different outcome.

“Bethells Beach is not a place to swim when lifeguards aren’t on patrol. If there’s no flagged area, don’t get in the water. The conditions can change fast and the margin for error is tiny.

“The SAR team recognised the urgency needed with failing light and launched within minutes. Their decision-making, skill and speed were outstanding, and that efficiency – along with the early 111 call - is what saved those three lives,” said Harvey.

The week’s operations also included:

Northern region

• Complex medical response at Piha after a member of the public reported a person falling from rocks near The Gap. Lifeguards responded by IRB and on foot alongside Police and the Northern Rescue Helicopter. The person, with significant injuries and altered consciousness, was winched out and transported to hospital.
• Rescue at Mangawhai Heads, where two people were trapped on Sentinel Rock. The SAR team launched an IRB and retrieved both safely.
• Sunday saw a surge in activity across the region, particularly at Raglan where lifeguards rescued 12 people including a mass rescue of seven.
• Rescue at Piha during an afterhours observational patrol, where lifeguards pulled a person from a dangerous hole south of Lion Rock. The person was in a serious condition and required extended first aid until an ambulance arrived.
• Lifeguards also treated several significant medical cases across Piha, Waipū Cove, and Mangawhai, including severe burns from hot sand and a fainting incident requiring ambulance handover.

Eastern region

• Kayaker rescue 1 km offshore at Pāpāmoa, with the Western Bay of Plenty SAR squad returning two people and their kayaks to shore.
• Search for a missing 9-year-old at Waihi Beach, with lifeguards locating the child quickly and resources stood down.
• Rescue at Mount Maunganui, where a person who had jumped from Leisure Island landed on rocks and required IRB pickup and ambulance care.

Central Region

• A relatively quiet week, with steady preventative work and no major incidents reported. Minor medical assistance and assists made up most activity, alongside moderate visitor numbers building towards the weekend.

Southern Region

• Rescue at Spencer Park, where a land-based informant reported two surfers drifting out to sea. The Canterbury SAR squad and Spencer Park lifeguards launched multiple IRBs and located both people four kilometres down the beach. No further medical attention was needed.
• Several significant minor medical responses at southern beaches later in the week, including treatment for injuries and assistance for people requiring ambulance support.

Aggregated patrol statistics:

Surf Life Saving New Zealand regions: 

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