Wai Wise – targeting Waitakere’s drowning toll

More than 300 people were rescued on Auckland’s west coast beaches last season and in the past five years 22 people have drowned in Waitakere alone. Many of these incidents involved youth and were preventable.

Survival swimming, beach and surf safety are key components of Wai Wise, a new programme being launched at West Wave Aquatic Centre on November 4.

Wai Wise seeks to increase the skills and confidence of Waitakere’s young people and their families, encouraging safer participation in aquatic activities.

First to reap the benefits of Wai Wise will be students of The Village Sports Academy (VSA) who will participate in practical and theoretical water safety sessions and swimming lessons.

They will also have the opportunity to experience a variety of aquatic sport and recreation activities available locally, such as waka ama and surf life saving.

Wai Wise targets the at-risk members of our communities, many of whom lack the skills to safely and confidently participate in aquatic activities, and is a collaboration between WaterSafe Auckland, Sport Waitakere, Safe Waitakere and Surf Life Saving New Zealand with funding support from SPARC.

Wai Wise will be launched by VSA Chairman Michael Jones, at 9:30am, November 4, West Wave Aquatic Centre, Alderman Drive, Henderson.

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