Emergency services at the scene of Tuesday's drownings at Kakanui in North Otago. Photo: Hamish MacLeanNearly half of all drownings in New Zealand so far this year involve people who were "kai gathering". Water Safety NZ statistics show 18 people have drowned so far this year, eight of those while gathering food. "This is the eighth preventable fatality this year relating to food gathering or kai gathering. Mills said it was a real balance between Kiwis' love of kai gathering and having a respect for the water.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 13, 2019 05:15 UTC