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Patrol Statistics

These figures give an idea of the huge commitment our lifeguards (the majority of whom are on voluntary patrols) make each season to help us protect our community in the water.

2012-13 season

Region Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Northern 80,048 643 789 134 37,196 131,610
Eastern 57,769 428 579 60 38,956 131,054
Central 41,817 348 433 102 18,684 36,159
Southern 32,344 226 178 61 19,397 51,004
SLSNZ total 211,978  1,645 1,979 357 114,233 349,827

What do the column titles mean?

2011-12 season

Region Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Northern 88,056 478 695 114 28140 95,841
Eastern 51,547 354 460 58 21,553 134,732
Central 36,790 138 197 23 16,168 31,356
Southern 30,086 94 146 37 18,419 32,487
SLSNZ total 206,479  1,064 1,498 232 84,280 294,416

What do the column titles mean?

2010-11 season

Region Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Northern 81,184 555 803 167 35,084 140,992
Eastern 55,092 402 866 70 27,368 303,539
Central 35,852 186 224 47 24,814 48,133
Southern 26,950 174 168 38 14,625 31,401
SLSNZ total 199,078  1,317 2,061 322 101,891  524,065

What do the column titles mean?

2009-10 season

This season, in line with the organisational restructure, reporting was by region, not district:

Region Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Northern 77,414 695 678 133 38,059 125,563
Eastern 54,229 368 680 74 23,654 124,696
Central 34,531 214 245 35 18,703 47,544
Southern 31,984 147 186 56 13,916 31,850
SLSNZ total  198,158  1,424  1,789  298  94,332  329,653

What do the column titles mean?

2008- 09 season

District Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Bay of Plenty 43,481 284 899 58 26,324 129,606
Canterbury 22,062 91 122 36 15,818 33,681
Gisborne 7,150 27 38 11 1,759 8,872
Hawkes Bay 9,309 67 74 12 3,683 7,228
Northern 75,660 605 641 137 36,286 124,094
Otago 10,186 39 44 10 5,236 14,637
Taranaki 8,458 61 41 3 7,507 14,482
Wellington 10,386 65 94 8 4,819 8,784
Western Districts 8,149 61 57 10 3,956 9,944
SLSNZ total 194,846 1,300 2.010 285 105,388 351,328

What do the column titles mean?

2007-08 season

District Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Bay of Plenty 34,322 401 489 68 32223 120,877
Canterbury 19600 81 157 37 11388 26,294
Gisborne 7441 31 27 6 1529 3,795
Hawkes Bay 8269 39 73 9 2721 4,741
Northern 75873 930 728 128 42779 154,335
Otago 10131 39 25 9 6634 13,834
Taranaki 9318 51 41 7 5435 16,994
Wellington 10093 79 64 5 4992 6733
Western Districts  8303 30 14 3 3524 7,294
SLSNZ total 183,350 1681 1,618 272 111,225 354,895

 What do the column titles mean?

 2006-07 season

District Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Bay of Plenty 32655 376   604 89 26216 59261
Canterbury 18572 91 118 40 6528 16797
Gisborne 7308 39 38 10 1420 4008
Hawkes Bay 8422 44 67 8 2302 3400
Northern 69990 647 735 124 29997 95882
Otago 9213 32 52 17 4882 12378
Taranaki 8676 44 48 3 4483 5897
Wellington 8302 147 67 8 4454 7639
Western Districts 8040 21 31 3 4911 13077
SLSNZ total 171178 1441 1760 302 85593 218339

 2005-06 season

District Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Bay of Plenty 34563 469 574 96 34627 289176
Canterbury 17221 166 121 49 7873 17211
Gisborne 6152 36 37 30 2147 2597
Hawkes Bay 8303 41 44 13 2426 3078
Northern 71427 809 733 129 31084 106378
Otago 8729 67 63 21 5125 16665
Taranaki 8865 99 43 7 6944 13215
Wellington 8149 81 84 6 5856 10161
Western Districts 6710 56 28 8 4588 18524
SLSNZ total 170118 1824 1727 359 100670 477005

 2004-05 season

District Total hours patrolled Number of rescues Number of First Aids Number of searches Number of preventative actions Safety interventions
Bay of Plenty 32657 446 457 76 28469 92235
Canterbury 16071 215 135 41 5271 11007
Gisborne 6011 36 59 4 2655 3124
Hawkes Bay 7685 31 46 10 2720 4217
Northern 62572 1437 584 134 44221 133651
Otago 8667 51 51 17 3547 8895
Taranaki 8840 41 61 15 6797 12875
Wellington 8210 372 186 4 25149 52675
Western Districts 6565 56 20 9 2698 8920
SLSNZ total 157276 2685 1599 310 121527 327653

Definitions:

Total hours worked: Total hours worked by all Surf Lifeguards.

Number of rescues: A 'rescue' is an instance where a person requires assistance to return to shore (or a place of safety) and whom without assistance would have suffered distress or injury, or drowned. This column records all these rescues. 

Number of first aids: A 'first aid' is any incident where a victim is administered some form of first aid treatment. This column records the total number of these incidents. 

Number of searches: A 'search' is any organised search for a missing person (or group of people) either at land or on sea. This includes body recovery. This column is the total number of searches conducted.

Number of preventative actions: 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, for example:

  • Shifting the flagged area during the day due to a change in surf conditions
  • Preventing swimmers from entering a rip or hole
  • Removing broken glass from the beach
  • Checking on a swimmer who may appear to be in difficulty
  • Clearing the beach of swimmers because of a suspected shark sighting
  • Shifting board and ski riders out of the flagged area

Number of safety interventions: a 'safety intervention' is the estimated number of people involved in a preventative action. This column is the total number of these people.