Surf Life Saving Northern Region - summary and statistics for Auckland Anniversary Weekend 25-27 January 2020

A very busy weekend with 10,300 people enjoying the SLSNR-patrolled beaches on Saturday, 11,200 on Sunday and 11,900 people today.

A wrapup of activity around the sub-regions for today (Monday 27 January) follows.

Northland

Whangarei Heads lifeguards in an IRB and the Bream Bay Rescue Jet Ski and Coastguard conducted a search for a missing diver just south of Awaroa Bay, Taiharuru around noon today. The diver was sadly found deceased just after 1pm and the lifeguards took the person back to the Coastguard vessel, which transported them back to Police waiting on shore at a local marina.

Just before 5pm, Ruakaka lifeguards were made aware by the family of two 17-year-old males that they hadn’t been seen for two hours after going for a swim. Ruakaka launched a search before locating the pair near the river mouth around 10 minutes later.

Auckland

Takapuna lifeguards gave first aid to a 13-year-old boy who dislocated his shoulder in the playground. He was taken to hospital by family friends he was at the beach with.

United North Piha lifeguards in an IRB assisted a swimmer to shore who was too tired to make it back in by themselves.

Muriwai had thousands of people coming to the beach today but they also had a lot of bluebottle jellyfish in the water. SurfCom updated Safeswim with a warning in the morning; however, the lifeguards had to give first-aid to 17 people who were stung throughout the day.

Waikato

Kariaotahi lifeguards had a very busy day with more than a thousand people visiting the beach throughout the day. A woman in her 30s was dumped by a wave and dislocated her right shoulder. She was in severe pain and started going into shock. Lifeguards administered first-aid until the ambulance arrived and took the woman to hospital.

Lifeguards also rescued three people swept out of the depths into a hole. The IRB rescued two of them and the other was saved by a lifeguard with a tube. They also rescued a 44-year-old woman who lost her footing and was swept away. A lifeguard swam out with a tube and brought her back to shore.

The lifeguards also assisted a 15-year-old on a body-board who couldn't get their footing to get back in so was assisted to shallows. They also aided two teenagers who lost their footing and were brought back to shallows. Contact is Mike Lawrence, 021 277 8872 for media follow-up.

Just before 2pm, Raglan lifeguards assisted a vessel which lost engine power and was drifting 30m from the Raglan Bar. The lifeguards evacuated the three people on board and took them further offshore to safety. Coastguard’s Gallagher Rescue arrived on scene a short while later and was able to tow the abandoned vessel to safer waters before picking up the people in the IRB.

Raglan guards also rescued four people today. There was a mass rescue of three people who got caught in a flash rip off the northern flag. One was rescued by a lifeguard with a tube, another by a lifeguard on a rescue board and the final one was rescued by the IRB. The last rescue was a woman who swam out too far and couldn’t get back to shore. She was returned to shore by the IRB.

Today’s Statistics

No. of people rescued 8
No. of people assisted 7
No. of major 1st aids 2
No. of minor 1st aids 45
No. of searches 2
No. of PA's 710
No. of Public Involved 3750
Peak headcount 12879
Total hours worked 1494.75
No. MDT Jobs 1

Weekend Statistics: (Sat-Mon)

No. of people rescued 22
No. of people assisted 30
No. of major 1st aids 8
No. of minor 1st aids 126
No. of searches 7
No. of PA's 1618
No. of Public Involved 8480
Peak headcount 34479
Total hours worked 5105.75
No. MDT Jobs 3

ends

© Scoop Media