Volunteer surf lifeguards rescued four people on Saturday, one at Uretiti Beach in Northland and three near Motuotau Island near Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty.

In the Eastern Region, Mt Maunganui Lifeguards observed three divers in distress near Motuotau Island during a roving patrol.

They responded with one inflatable rescue boat (IRB) and one board. All three people were returned to the beach in a stable condition.

At Uretiti Beach, Ruakākā lifeguards assisted a male who was being swept out to sea in his dinghy. Lifeguards assisted the man and his dinghy back to the beach. He was in a stable condition.

On Sunday at Raglan a surfer was hit on the head while surfing, sustaining a suspected head injury. Lifeguards from Raglan provided first aid to the patient, administering pain relief. They continued to monitor and keep the patient comfortable until an ambulance arrived.

Northern Region Lifesaving manager Chase Calahane acknowledged the hard work and ongoing training the volunteer guards have put in over the winter period.

“In the Ruakākā /Uretiti incidents, the responding lifeguards were also involved in an ongoing search for a missing swimmer last weekend. They’ve now responded to this incident at Uretiti, which could have become very serious if the lifeguards weren’t able to respond.”

Chase said these incidents provided a timely safety reminder.

“Make sure you check the conditions before you head out. And ensure you have the correct PPE [personal protective equipment]. The beginning of the season is a good time to check your equipment – before you go out or need to use it in an incident.

“And don’t hesitate to call 111 and ask for police if you see someone in trouble in the water. Time is of the essence in these situations.”

Chase said that already beaches are getting busy as the days warm up.

“At its busiest point, there were 330 people at Ōrewa Beach on Saturday and about 550 on Sunday.”

Further south, at Mount Maunganui there were 150 people at 2pm on Saturday. In the Southern Region there were about 330 people on St Clair beach, Dunedin, at 2pm.

Other statistics from the weekend are below.

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Northern Region:

Saturday: Ruakākā Lifeguards responded to Uretiti Beach, where they assisted a male who was been swept out in his dinghy. Lifeguards assisted the male and his dinghy back to the beach. He was in a stable condition.

Sunday: Raglan required an ambulance response for a patient who was hit on the head while surfing, sustaining a suspected head injury. Lifeguards provided first aid to the patient, administering pain relief due to extreme pain and continued to monitor and keep the patient comfortable until an ambulance arrived.

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Eastern Region:

Saturday: Mt Maunganui Lifeguards observed 3 divers in distress, near Motuotau Island, during a roving patrol. They responded with 1 IRB and 1 Board and rescued the 3 patients. All 3 patients were returned to the beach in a stable condition.

Sunday: Nothing of note.

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Central Region:

Saturday and Sunday: Nothing of note.

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Southern Region:

Saturday and Sunday: Nothing of note.

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