Water safety progress and shortcomings highlighted

Water Safety New Zealand has released its 2025 Drowning Prevention Report, which shows a mixed bag of improvements and downward trends since 2024.

Coastguard Hibiscus president Mark Wadman says that educating kids about the importance of water safety is making a significant difference, with the drowning rates for under 25s lower than ever before.

“Young people are leading the way in decreasing drowning rates,” he says. 

Wadman says that the swimming education and safe boating programmes are assisting in the decrease in drownings of young children. However, the report also highlights the highest at-risk demographic for safety on the water.

Adult males over the age of 25 made up over 70 per cent of fatalities throughout the year.

Overall, males account for 83 per cent of deaths, which the report says has been a consistent trend for many years.

Wadman says that the continuation of these trends paints a concerning picture. 

“A lot of men have the attitude that they’re bulletproof, and it leads to poor decisions being made,” he says.

The report also highlighted the risks of heading onto the water alone. Over the past 10 years, 408 people have died while on the water by themselves, including 310 men.

Wadman emphasised the importance of always having at least one other person with you when on the water, as well as three waterproof methods of communication to ensure you can receive help if you need it.

Particularly for smaller vessels going into open water, Wadman emphasises the importance of checking the conditions not only the night before, but the day of departure.