Surf lifesaving clubs on the Coromandel carried out 172 rescues during the official 2014/15 patrol season which ended at Easter.

Statistics released by Surf Life Saving NZ on Wednesday show this number is down by 63 compared to the 235 rescues performed during the 2013/14 season.

Surf Life Saving NZ released its official statistics for the 2014/15 patrol season on Wednesday. Photo: File

Total number of rescues performed by Coromandel clubs were: Whangamata (53), Pauanui (43), Waihi Beach (26), Hot Water Beach (20), Tairua (19), Whiritoa (7), and Onemana (0).

Last year's figures were: Whangamata (56), Pauanui (19), Waihi Beach (16), Hot Water Beach (101), Tairua (14), Whiritoa (21), and Onemana (7).

An additional Bowentown patrol location performed four rescues in 2014/15; there was one in 2013/14.

For the Eastern Region, spanning from Hot Water Beach to Midway in Gisborne, 473 rescues were carried out this season compared to 367 last season – an increase of 29 per cent.

Across the four SLNZ patrol regions – Northern, Eastern, Central and Southern – the number of rescues have increased across the board, with second largest rise occurring in the Eastern region.

Nationally, a total of 1,310 people were plucked from danger, which is up on the 2013/14 season's total of 1,034 people.

Surf Life Saving New Zealand CEO Paul Dalton says lifeguards have once again done an amazing job of helping to make the country's beaches a safer place for all to enjoy.

'Saving over 1,300 lives this summer is something for our lifeguards to be truly proud of,” says Grant. 'We also need to remember that on top of that, lifeguards prevented thousands more from getting to the point of needing to be rescued.”

Lifeguards performed 115,494 preventative actions this season, up 36 per cent on last season's total of 85,063.

A 'preventative action' is where a lifeguard identified a potentially dangerous situation and takes precautionary action to prevent the situation from developing into or contributing to a real emergency.

Unfortunately grant believes a large number of beachgoers put themselves into unnecessary danger this season.

A large number of the rescues took place outside of the traditional flagged patrol area and outside of standard patrol hours.

The year started off on a bad note with eight drownings at beaches in January – just under the total number of beach drownings for all of 2014 (11 deaths).

'Those statistics were alarming and just reiterate the need to always swim between the flags at a patrolled beach – none of those drownings took place between the flags.”

Lifeguards have put in over 220,000 patrol hours this season, which Grant says is on par with most seasons.

'The huge increase in the number of rescues over the same number of patrol hours just shows you how hard our lifeguards have worked to keep up with the increase in rescues this summer.”

For more information visit: www.surflifesaving.co.nz