A record number of people were rescued from the water on Wednesday as lifeguards across the country are being kept 'super” busy, says Surf Life Saving NZ's Eastern Region lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell.

Over 130 people were rescued or assisted to safety, with 83 of those being at Mount Maunganui beaches.

'That's a record number,' says Chaz. 'This is a strong reminder to beach goers to know their limits and swim between the flags.”

Breaking down the numbers, over 56 people were rescued and 116 others assisted to safety across NZ.

'A rescue is when - if we hadn't helped them they would have drowned. An assist - they would likely got to safety but a lifeguard jumped in to help them.”

The fine weather and large surf from Coromandel through the Bay of Plenty has been an attractive pull for beachgoers venturing into the water.

Mount Maunganui

Chaz says Mount Maunganui lifeguards conducted 39 rescues and 44 assists on Wednesday. These consisted of rescues conducted by RWC, rescue swimmers, IRB and rescue boards.

'Of particular note was the rip known as the Escalator, which runs alongside Moturiki/Leisure Island,' says Chaz. 'A majority of their rescues came from this location, and it is a reminder for the public to be aware of beach conditions and pay attention to lifeguard directions and signage.

Chaz say the busy period started earlier last week on the back of the surf swell that had been floating around.

'The life guards were really busy from the start of people's holidays, even though the surf wasn't that big then,” says Chaz.

'What the lifeguards are reporting is that from about Moturiki/Leisure Island down to Pāpāmoa – there are a lot of troughs or holes in the bottom of the sand.

'When the tides are changing, it's posing a big risk to swimmers, with a lot of undertow in these troughs. And there's a lot of rips – at nearly every access way there's a hole or a rip.”

Pāpāmoa and Omanu beaches

On Wednesday there was one rescue and three assists at Pāpāmoa, while at Omanu lifeguards conducted four rescues and assisted seven swimmers.

'Most of these were swimming outside the flag area.”

Photo: Jamie Troughton.

Chaz also says 78 per cent of the rescues were males aged between 11 and 30.

Dogs and swimming between the red and yellow flags

Chaz's expectation that when the surf returned later this week there could be more people rescued from those spots has proven to be accurate.

'The majority of people swimming outside of the flags who I talked to were doing so because they had their dogs.

'Because people are not allowed their dogs in the flag area, they are keeping away from the flags when they go swimming,' says Chaz.

'I said it's really good you are bringing your dog down but make sure an adult is able to get down and rescue the children. Or leave your dog at home and swim between the flags.”

He says he found that parents are not always keen to get into the water.

'They're not able to conduct a rescue if their children get into trouble,' says Chaz.

He is urging people to prepare before going into the water.

'Watch the surf for a few minutes to see where the water and surf is moving. If you see a calm patch in the water that's where the rip is or hole. Or if you see criss-cross water moving out to sea - that is where there are rips.

'Look for consistent areas where the waves are coming in constantly – this is the safest place. The lifeguards are putting the swimmers in the safest place, on those sand bars where they can swim. So swim there, between the flags.”

Surfers

He says that during the latter part of this week, the reports were showing the surf would be dropping off but some smaller stuff is 'hanging around” through to Saturday and possibly Sunday until it builds again mid next week

'The key information for surfers is to tell someone when and where you are going and when you'll be back. And don't surf alone,' says Chaz.

'In the past when we've responded to surfers who have gone missing, people at home don't know where they've gone to surf or when they're due back.”

Whangamata

Whangamata lifeguards have also been full on with 9 rescues and 26 assists on Thursday. This included a mass rescue of six people at the estuary, who at first glance by the lifeguards appeared to be swimming in circles, but as they got closer were actually stuck in a whirlpool.

'Shortly after lifeguards approached, one patient put their hand up and started going under the water. One lifeguard responded quickly with a rescue board, closely followed by others with tube and fins and they were able to assist all of the patients back to the beach, where they were educated on the ways of the whirlpool.”

After this occurred, the lifeguards stayed at the top of the estuary to educate others on the current conditions, and roams were done every 15 minutes instead of every 30.

'The lifeguards assisted another person who got into trouble in a rip by the rocks of the estuary, who they managed to bring to an area that was safe for swimming.

'Their busy day was topped off by a visit from a St John ambulance who responded to their request after a lady who was playing in the water fell over and badly hurt her knee. The lifeguards transported to the first aid room, provided pain relief and comfort until the ambulance arrived.”

Pāuanui

At Pāuanui, a foiler lost his board at the back of the Pāuanui/Tairua bar.

'He deflated his ‘wing'/kite and attempted to swim back to shore. The IRB picked up the patient and his wing while a 'Good Samaritan” member of the public with a jetski brought his board back.”

Chaz says the Pāuanui lifeguards had another two assists throughout the day, as flash rips popped up along the beach and between the flags.

'Lifeguards responded to swimmers who struggled to find their feet after big sets came through and sucked people out.

'After patrol was packed up they had another job as two patients- a swimmer and a boogie boarder- became stuck in a rip and were swept out to sea. The patrol began to get their IRB out of the shed, but two quick-thinking lifeguards responded with tubes and fins and brought the patients to a depth where they could stand, where a welfare check was performed. The patients were assessed to be all okay and the lifeguards returned to their dinner.”

Hāhei

Hāhei conducted one rescue, three assists, and one major first aid on Thursday.

'A couple of big waves created a flash rip that pulled a group of people out to sea who were swimming 100m north of the boat ramp. Lifeguards responded, retrieving a man and his nephew as well as another patient,' says Chaz.

Earlier in the day, the lifeguard on tower duty spotted three people swimming in a rip in front of the same boat ramp.

'Two of them were making progress in swimming out of it, but one was not. Two lifeguards responded to help the third patient, completing a double tube rescue, where a paramedic on the beach assessed the patient and gave the all clear.

'Their major first aid also involved a visiting paramedic, as well as the local first response unit, when a man came out of the water with a dislocated shoulder. He was in a moderate amount of pain, and lifeguards provided comfort and drove the patient to the carpark where he could be attended by the first response unit and eventually the ambulance.'

Hot Water Beach and Pukehina

'Not to be outdone, Hot Water Beach also had a visiting paramedic respond to help them with their own dislocated shoulder incident,' says Chaz.

'Pukehina assisted three people back to shore after they were dragged out in the estuary towards the bar entrance while sitting on an inflatable raft.”

Busy period

The busy run of lifesaving rescues started before Christmas.

'Last week at Mount Maunganui we had eight rescues around low tide within the space of a couple of house and life guards conducted another 12 assists,' says Chaz.

'A UK lifeguard who has done hundreds of rescues saw a swimmer bobbing off the bottom, which is when someone is pushing off from the sand to jump up and get air on the surface.

'The lifeguard was roaming past on a beach vehicle and his partner flagged the life guard. The jet ski we had roaming helped him back to shore.”

Chaz says the struggling swimmer turned out to also be from the UK, over here on holiday.

Photo: Surf Life Saving New Zealand.

'He dropped some goodies off to the lifeguards on Saturday as a thank you.”

He says on Christmas Day locals came in to the lifeguard service with baking.

'A lot of people came in and dropped off goodies all around the coast and Coromandel. The lifeguards love homemade baking and boxes of chocolates. A nice bit of ginger slice always goes down well.”

There are 15 lifeguards over from the UK working at eastern beaches this summer.

'We've got them dotted around the Coromandel and Mount Maunganui Omanu and Pāpāmoa. And a couple down in Whakatane. They love the homemade baking too, and they love their cups of tea.”