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Research conducted by Water Safety New Zealand published this month underlines the need for closer supervision of children under five to prevent infant drowning.
The research analysed fatal and non-fatal drowning of children aged 0-4 years, between 2005 and 2019. During the period, there were 557 drowning incidents, of which 89 were fatal, and 468 required hospitalisation.
Home swimming pools, including portable pools, pose the greatest risk of fatal drowning among children under five, followed by ponds.
Water Safety chief executive Daniel Gerrard said the research highlighted the need for adequate safety fencing around pools and the importance of constant supervision of children, as drownings can happen in seconds.
