Photo: RNZA study on drowning cases has found a majority of missing people in New Zealand weren't wearing a lifejacket when found, reinforcing the importance of safety equipment. The University of Auckland study, deemed the first and largest of its kind in the world, reviewed 219 fatalities from 2008 and 2017. It showed only four percent of missing people were wearing a lifejacket when found, and males made up 92 percent of those missing. Only a small proportion of missing people weren't located (9 percent) or the outcome not reported (6 percent), according to the report. Māori, Pasifika over-representedThe study also found the median age of drowning victims was 41.9 years.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 28, 2020 17:37 UTC