Near-drownings cost NZ $300m

Non-fatal drownings have cost taxpayers an estimated $300 million in the past decade, showing the hidden side to Kiwis’ love of the water.

Water Safety New Zealand has released figures showing 680 people have been hospitalised since 2005 suffering non-fatal drownings.

Last year alone, 188 people were hospitalised for nearly drowning, the figures show.

A Pricewaterhouse-Coopers report found every serious waterrelated injury cost $340,000, which, when adjusted for inflation, meant they would have cost the country around $293m in the past 10 years. Each fatal drowning cost $3.4m.

Since 2009, 539 people have suffered fatal drownings, costing an estimated $1.9 billion.

WaterSafe Auckland chief executive Jonathan Webber said many water mishaps go under- or unreported.

For an incident to qualify as a non-fatal drowning the victim must be admitted to hospital for at least 24 hours, he said.

‘‘[The official figure] it’s an alarming number, the tip of the iceberg, of course there are home incidents involving pools or the bath, wherever there’s water.’’

Some people brush-off non-fatal drownings, but victims should at least be checked over by a doctor as the after-effects can be serious, said Webber, a lifesaver and drowning resuscitation researcher.

Survivors can be pulled from the water only to walk away once revived.

Sometimes ambulance and helicopter crews responding to nonfatal drowning chose to ‘‘treat and release’’ instead of transporting victims to hospital.

Others are taken to hospital and kept under observation before being discharged, Webber said.

Although most drowning survivors make a full recovery, some suffer mild to severe health effects, he said.

Water ingestion can cause lung infections and breathing difficulties, and some will suffer brain damage.

‘‘There will be a percentage of patients admitted to intensive care [who will] have some physical disabilities through to very severe brain damage, a patient may end up in a vegetative state on life support.’’