A 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.
The death of 5-year-old Haoran Chen, on November 11, came in a year in which twice as many Aucklanders died in preventable drownings than the year before.
But the spike, revealed in new Water Safety New Zealand figures, was also observed elsewhere in the country and has been partly put down to warmer weather over past months.
There was also a spike in the preventable drownings of New Zealanders aged over 65, and 5 and under.
Bayswater man Bernard Riedl almost drowned himself while trying to rescue Haoran, who fell into choppy waters at Torpedo Bay wharf, near Devonport.
Mr Riedl managed to swim to Haoran and get the child to wrap his arms around his neck but the little boy lost his grip and they became separated. He then got into trouble himself and thought he was going to die, until ending up back by the shore.
"What it all comes down to is that you've just got to be aware of the dangers,'' he told The New Zealand Herald.
"I didn't appreciate it before it happened to me, but that's the thing - one minute you are safe by the sea with your family, and next minute someone you love is drowning, or you are drowning yourself.''
Water Safety New Zealand statistics showed Auckland's preventable fatal drowning rate jumped to 22 in 2017, double that of 2016.
The startling leap was among higher rates of drowning in many other regions, over a year that saw 88 such cases and a 13% increase across the country.
The statistics come after several incidents since the start of the year.
A week after former soldier Wairongoa Clarence Renata died at Northland's Cable Bay after going into the water to save five children caught in a rip, Taupo woman Amy Jenny Brown (35) drowned on January 9 while trying to save a child at Haumoana Beach in Hawke's Bay.
Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Jonty Mills said the higher figures could have been partly due to hotter temperatures.
However, New Zealand's drowning problem was complex, he said.
"We have a very diverse and growing population with very high participation rates across a wide range of different activities and aquatic environments.''
In Canterbury, nine people drowned compared with one in 2016. Increases were also recorded in Wellington (eight from one), Bay of Plenty (12 from seven) and the West Coast (six from three), the region that had the highest rate.
Marlborough, where three people drowned last year, had the second-highest rate, ahead of Gisborne, Southland, Bay of Plenty and Northland.
Of those who died in preventable drownings, seven were toddlers - four more than in 2016 - and the number of people aged over 65 doubled from eight to 16.
"For under-5s the only solution is constant active adult supervision. Also, we are living longer, healthier lives and retirees are more active, so there is extra risk.''
The majority of victims were Pakeha (48). Fifteen Maori, 11 Asian people and six Pacific Islanders drowned.
There was also a sizeable increase in the number of females who died, from 11 in 2016 to 19 last year.
Around home environments, seven drownings occurred in baths, eight in home pools and three in ponds. Two occurred at public pools.
Eleven people drowned far off coasts - nearly twice as many as in 2016 - while nine died in lakes, when none did the year before.
But the number of people who drowned in rivers nearly halved - 13 in 2017 compared with 23 in 2016 - and the number of beach fatalities fell from 21 in 2016 to 14 last year.
"Remember the water safety code,'' Mr Mills said. "Be prepared, watch out for yourself and each other, be aware of the dangers and know your limits.''
