Teen drowning prompts signs
Signs identifying three major rips have been erected at a Christchurch beach after the death of a 14-year-old boy.
Jack Sutton, went missing while swimming with a friend off Sumner Beach on February 5, 2018. His friend survived.
Jack’s body washed up on the foreshore on February 12.
A Christchurch City Council staff member told a meeting in Sumner the day after Sutton’s body was found that it would review existing rip signage ‘‘and explore any other [drowning prevention] opportunities’’ in conjunction with Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ).
Council head of parks Andrew Rutledge said this week rip hazard signs, developed with the Sumner community and the Surf Life Saving Club, were installed on a trial basis just before Christmas at four points on the Scarborough foreshore, where the rip hazard most commonly develops.
The three major rips in Sumner are the estuary rip, which feeds into a second rip along the front of Scarborough, and one rip in front of the clock tower and lifeboat station.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand regional manager Stu Bryce said Sutton’s death was a ‘‘tragic accident’’ and no change to its practices were needed.
‘‘To be honest everything’s streamlined and everyone’s aware of the situation . . . it’s probably a bit more in depth now because of Jack’s drowning, but nothing significantly changed because all of that stuff was in place before.’’
He said there were already a number of signs installed about five years ago along every access point from the esplanade down to the beach.
The new signs now highlight the common rips.
Three people were rescued by surfers after being caught in a rip in front of the clock tower on Thursday.
‘‘I don’t know if too many signs is not a good thing. That’s my opinion, because we become saturated with signs but if we get the right sign in the right place that will make a significant difference,’’ Bryce said.
A 25-year-old man was pulled from the water straight in front of the surf club at nearby Taylors Mistake on Wednesday.
Bryce said earlier the man was swimming with a friend when he got into trouble. Several local bach owners and surf life saving club members were also in the water swimming or surfing and went to the man’s aid.
One of the rescuers had a key to the surf life saving club building and was able to get oxygen for the man.
Bryce said anyone swimming at night should make sure they were going with friends, and should look after each other.
‘‘We become saturated with signs but if we get the right sign in the right place that will make a significant difference.’’ Surf Life Saving NZ regional manager Stu Bryce