Photo: ODT filesA man who tried in vain to save a young boy who fell from an Auckland wharf has joined water safety advocates in pleading for vigilance this summer. There was also a spike in the preventable drownings of New Zealanders aged over 65, and 5 and under. Water Safety New Zealand statistics showed Auckland's preventable fatal drowning rate jumped to 22 in 2017, double that of 2016. Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Jonty Mills said the higher figures could have been partly due to hotter temperatures. "Remember the water safety code,'' Mr Mills said.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 14, 2018 19:41 UTC