Man drowns at Christchurch beach trying to save child

A man has drowned at a Christchurch beach while trying to save a child from the same fate.

A New Zealand man has drowned at a beach after trying to save a child from the same fate.

Emergency services were called to Spencer Park beach in Christchurch at 12.45pm on Sunday, a police spokesperson said.

Water Safety chief executive Daniel Gerrard said he understands the man had tried to rescue a young child after they had either been swept out by a rip or had swum out of their depth in the swells, which were slightly bigger than usual, the New Zealand Herald reports.

Nearby lifeguards were able to rescue the child, Gerrard said, and brought the unconscious man onto the beach where they tried to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful.

Want to stream your news? Flash lets you stream 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer available for a limited time only >

A New Zealand man has drowned at a beach after trying to save a child from the same fate.

St John Ambulance said it was notified of a water-related incident near Spencer Park at 12.42pm. Four ambulances and five clinical managers responded.

Gerrard suspected that the other six injuries reported yesterday at the beach had been a result of separate incidents due to bigger-than-usual swells.

Gerrard is now urging Kiwi men, the most common group in New Zealand to become a victim of drowning, to take better care in and around the water this summer.

“In 2021 we lost 90 people to drowning, and 76 were male. And already this year, 70 families have lost a loved one. More often than not they’re a father, a son, an uncle, a brother or a grandfather,” Gerrard wrote in an open letter to “New Zealand men”.

“To Pakeha males in powerboats, Māori men gathering kai underwater, Asian men fishing from rocks, Pasifika men fishing from boats … you guys are consistently over-represented in our drowning tragedies.”

“By knowing the conditions, supervising the kids, wearing a life jacket, and remembering you’re not as good as you were when you were 20. You will make it home at the end of the day.”

This article originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald and was reproduced with permission

Originally published as Man drowns at Christchurch beach trying to save child