A Stuff article.
Sprung from a year of lockdowns, Kiwis are flooding to beaches – but sadly, summer drownings are spiking.
Within the space of four hours on Boxing Day, three people drowned – a woman in Waikanae in Kāpiti, a man at Kariotahi south of Auckland and man at an estuary at Waiwera to Auckland’s north.
December saw more than twice as many drowning deaths as the same time last year, with lifesavers and water safety advocates desperately trying to get the safety message out.