2 December 2013
When you read this story, don't be sad, be angry. I am bloody furious.
This is about the father and his six-year-old daughter who have died on Lake Tarawera.
The worst thing of all, is that the moron father has now left his wife and family with two deaths to deal with, that should never, ever have happened. I can't even begin to think of how incredibly stupid any person - let alone parent - would be dumb enough to think that a 6 yo would be able to wear an adult lifejacket.
The thing which stuns me most is how a species that can send spaceships out of the solar system and beyond still has members that think they can be careless around water. Unless caught in a flood, almost no mammals die of drowning, other than humans.
What happened yesterday is a shocking example of the ridiculous attitude many Kiwis have to personal and family safety.
Each year, thousands of people are saved from drowning by men & women who risk their own lives to save the miserable lives of morons, idiots and the terminally and wilfully ignorant. Wear your jeans in the surf? No worries, a hundred or more will die.
I estimate that over 90% of drownings in New Zealand are completely avoidable.
In the summer, week after week, you will read about people drowning because they did indeed wear jeans in the surf, were swimming outside the flags, or in uncontrolled areas, got caught in weed in Pupuke, blown offshore on a lilo, capsized with no life jackets, fell in a swimming pool, or any one of several dozen other ways humans choose to sacrifice themselves and their family members to Poseidon and Tangaroa.
This is so, so simple. If you are going near water that is more than 10cm deep, use some nouse, and always err strongly on the side of caution. Be aware of what the wind will be doing in one hour, four hours, from when you arrive on or at the water.
Water is dangerous in ways you might not expect - for instance lakes being hypothermic on a 26 degree day. Even things like fresh water being less buoyant than sea water catches people out. Swimming is hard work, and only if you are able to swim four lengths of a public swimming pool (200m) without stopping, should you even think of going in water deeper than your chest. On boats, correctly fitted lifejackets must be worn by every person.
These are simple rules that will absolutely stop you becoming one of this country's most appalling - and avoidable statistics.
100m offshore, the bloke was yesterday. Wearing two good lifejackets, they would have been back onshore 5 minutes later, instead of dead. Pity their family, be angry at the stupidity in our society.
Copyright © Alan Charman