A 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 per cent of missing people were wearing a lifejacket when found, and males made up 92 per cent of those missing. Māori, Pasifika over-representedThe study also found the median age of drowning victims was 41.9 years. The most frequent activities the victims were involved in before going missing were boating (31 per cent), swimming (20 per cent), fishing (18 per cent) and diving/snorkelling (16 per cent).

Source: Stuff November 28, 2020 21:33 UTC