Surf lifeguards responded to high beach activity across the country from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 February, with Waitangi Day and warm weather drawing significant crowds to patrolled beaches.

Nationally, lifeguards carried out 89 rescues and 88 assists, treated 118 people with first aid, and worked more than 15,000 patrol hours.

Beaches in the eastern region were particularly busy, with 49 rescues recorded across the week and high activity on both Waitangi Day and Saturday. The importance of proactive beach management was reinforced as a strong preventative presence from surf lifeguards contributed to lower numbers of serious incidents despite the large crowds.

Saturday’s incidents in the Eastern region included two major first aid responses in Bowentown within minutes of each other, a patient with a puncture wound from a stingray barb at Papamoa East, and 24 rescues at Omanu in Mount Maunganui due to flash rips - temporary, fast-moving rips that appear suddenly.

Eastern Region General Manager Avan Polo said the week highlighted the importance of strong patrol coverage during public holidays. "Waitangi weekend and the warm weather brought significant numbers to our beaches. Our lifeguards assessed risks and the high number of preventative actions shows how focused our teams were on stopping situations from escalating before they became serious."

Aggregated patrol statistics 2 – 8 February 2026

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