Bluff Woman Named Nz’s Supreme Water Safety Champion

Bluff local Meri Leask has been named New Zealand’s biggest champion of water safety for her lifelong commitment to keeping Southland’s fishermen and boaties safe on the water.

Mrs Leask, who has singlehandedly kept Bluff’s marine radio running for more than 30 years – from her own home and on a voluntary basis – received the outstanding contribution award at the Sealord New Zealand Water Safety Awards in Queenstown on Saturday night.

Water Safety New Zealand CEO Matt Claridge says there has not been a more deserving award recipient in the history of the awards.

“Here’s a person who is on call 24/7, who fields up to 160 calls from boaties on a busy day and has assisted in more than 110 incidents – and she’s been doing it for more than three decades on a voluntary basis. Mary has made a significant contribution to the safety of the skippers and passengers onboard Southland’s vessels.”

Meri Leask, along with husband Ian, purchased the marine radio equipment at their own cost when the Bluff Coastal Station closed in 1980, and the service looked like being lost to the local community. Since then she has logged in and monitored the safety of tens of thousands of vessels in and around Bluff Harbour.

Of the other awards announced, this year’s award for awareness went to Surfing New Zealand for its ‘Have A Go Surfing Days held around the North Island during 2012/2013. The free ‘taster’ surfing sessions saw more than 1000 primary and intermediate aged kids learn about rips, currents and other beach dangers while trying out a new activity. Part of the Surfing 4 Schools project, the ‘Have A Go Surfing Days’ take education out of the classroom and onto the beach.

Coastguard Boating Education’s Safe Boating Programme was awarded the prevention award, for a campaign aimed at reducing the injury or drowning toll. The Safe Boating Programme works with aquatic centres to provide boaties – swimmers and non-swimmers – with the skills they might need to survive in a dangerous situation. This includes what to do when your boat capsizes, the correct way to wear lifejackets and PFDs and communicating effectively in an emergency.

The education award was received by the Swim Safe Southland initiative, part of the nationwide Sealord Swim for Life. A joint venture between Sport Southland and Southern REAP, Swim Safe Southland, in a New Zealand first, has every primary school child in Southland – almost 8000 kids - in the water and learning to swim.

Matt Claridge says the calibre of this year’s awards entrants was very high.

“There is a huge amount of incredible work being done in New Zealand’s water safety sector and the recipients of the 2013 Sealord New Zealand Water Safety Awards are making an enormous contribution to keeping New Zealanders safer in the water.”

Sealord General Manager Stuart Yorston says Sealord’s involvement in the Awards is all part of the company’s commitment to water safety in New Zealand.

“Around 200,000 Kiwi kids are involved in the Sealord Swim for Life initiative nationwide, and we’re delighted to celebrate the other groups and individuals who are working alongside us to educate and inform New Zealanders how about to keep themselves safe in, on and around the water.”

The Sealord New Zealand Water Safety Awards conclude the first ever International Water Safety and Aquatic Education Conference. More than 300 international water safety delegates attended the first-of-its-kind event, including AUSTSWIM ambassador and Olympic gold medalist Brooke Hanson and water safety professionals from around New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Japan, US and United Arab Emirates.

Matt Claridge says the inaugural conference was a huge success.

“The information and ideas shared between nations will play an important role in the ongoing work being done to reduce the number of people that are drowning both here in New Zealand and overseas.”

ENDS

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