Dive squad ready for summer sadness
Searching under water for drowning victims is a grisly task but it will likely be the reality for the New Zealand Police dive squad over the summer season.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Adams said it was regrettable that this time of year saw a spike in the number of people recovered from our waters.
‘‘Everyone is getting more active, enjoying the water and, unfortunately, it’s a bit of a numbers’ game.’’
Every year, an average of 110 people die in New Zealand’s waters – a figure that Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) believes could hit 180 by the year 2030.
Up to 30 people are recovered from the water every year across the country. About 90 per cent of those cases were searches in opaque waters and roughly twothirds were preventable drownings, Adams said.
‘‘We can’t see what we’re doing so it’s all by feel. It’s not easy.’’
Whether it was a child, husband, wife, grandad, uncle it didn’t really matter – a huge piece of someone’s life was gone, he said.
It might sound very unnerving searching through black waters but Adams’ team are motivated to achieve the best outcome for every family and friend left behind by drowning victims.
‘‘It’s incredibly traumatic for family and friends and quite often the communities. When we find what we’re looking for, we’re pleased for them. It’s the best of a bad situation, that we’re able to bring closure and hopefully provide some answers.’’
Not every case came with a sense of solution but the police did everything they could, Adams said.
When the dive squad recovered a body, its members debriefed together. ‘‘Obviously, sometimes the jobs aren’t very pleasant.’’
Then every two months, they would all come together to talk about every case they had worked on over that period. It helped to talk.
Water Safety chief executive Jonty Mills said New Zealand’s environment, while very inviting, could also be incredibly unpredictable and unforgiving.
‘‘It’s part of our culture to play in the water. It’s our playground, it’s who we are as Kiwis.’’
However, we don’t respect the water enough. ‘‘Most people drown because they make bad decisions. It comes down to knowing your own limits, watching out for each other, being aware of those dangers and having that knowledge to be prepared for whatever activity you’re undertaking.’’
Adams said the dive squad members wished they never needed to recover the bodies of drowning victims. ‘‘We’re all on the same path to try and reduce those incidences. By the time we are involved, the realisation has hit home [to loved ones].’’
Prevention was the only thing that could see the case numbers fall. Every person was just ‘‘one breath away from drowning’’.