Harry’s story: ‘You never forget the bad days’
In his role at Drowning Prevention Auckland, Harry Aonga has seen first-hand the sad impact drownings have on whānau. He is pleased to see ACC use ‘The Thinker’ and other initiatives to help save lives in and around the water.
I’ve been working as the Team Leader of Community Education and Events for Drowning Prevention Auckland for 12 years.
During that time, I’ve seen some great days and others I’d like to forget.
I love coming to work every day to serve my community and my people.
It’s a real honour and a responsibility I take seriously.
But you never forget the bad days. Former Warriors league player Sonny Fai’s family always comes to mind.
His drowning at Te Henga (Bethells Beach) in 2009 was devastating. I remember it clearly. When he drowned it had a huge impact on so many people.
I show videos of that time as an educational tool to highlight the impact of a drowning. It breaks my heart.
They never found Sonny’s body. For Pasifika families, it’s hard to mourn that loss if they haven’t found the body.
It’s a moment they will never forget, and the pain will stay with them forever.
Unfortunately, Sonny’s death wasn’t a one-off.
Last year, there were 93 preventable drownings in Aotearoa – the highest since 2008.
From 2018 to 2022, there were 85 preventable drownings in Auckland, 15 were Pasifika (18 per cent), and all were male. Half of Pasifika drownings in New Zealand in this period happened in Auckland.
New Zealand Warriors rugby league player Sonny Fai tragically drowned at just 20-years-old.
‘The Thinker’ helps spread the word
This month we did something about it. We teamed up with ACC to take ‘The Thinker’ statue to Karioitahi Beach, on Auckland’s west coast.
I’ve never seen anything like this and I applaud the initiative from ACC. ‘The Thinker’ was a real talking point. It was there to challenge people to ‘Have a Hmmm’ and think about their safety.
We know Karioitahi Beach is beautiful and a popular place for swimming. But it’s also a dangerous beach where swimmers often get caught in rips.
We encouraged people to not overestimate their ability or underestimate the conditions, to stay close to their children at all times, and how to identify a rip and what to do when you get caught in one.
It was great to take injury prevention to the people in a high-risk area.
‘Have a Hmmm’ to stay safe in the water
For Pasifika people, the common risks are boating and swimming. If you’re going fishing and the conditions are not ideal, just go home and do it another day. It’s not worth it.
A lot of Pasifika people don’t know what a rip looks like. At places like Piha or Muriwai you see big waves, and they head towards the calm spot. But we know that is the most dangerous place to swim.
We need to work as a collective. Our drownings statistics show we’re not learning as a nation.
We still get into too much trouble in, on and around the water. We’re working together to address that. We need our communities to know we care for them, and we’re working for them.
At the end of the day, we want everyone to go home safely to their families and loved ones.
Before you go to the beach or out on the water this weekend, think: ‘Am I swimming in the right place?’ ‘Are my kids safe?’ ‘Am I doing the right thing?’
And make sure your kids get the chance to learn ‘Water Skills for Life’, an ACC-supported programme which teaches valuable survival skills. It could save their life.
Water safety tips
- Don’t overestimate your ability
- Don’t underestimate the conditions
- If in doubt, don’t go out
- Watch your children at all times when you’re in and around water
- If your child is young, always keep them within arm’s reach
