TWO HUNDRED A YEAR

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 456, 14 June 1937, Page 6

TWO HUNDRED A YEAR

DEATHS FROM DROWNING Alarming New Zealand Figures Christchurch, June 12. Showing the toll of drownings in the Dominion, an arresting report from Mr D. Saunters, New Zealand Swimming Association educational officer at Auckland, was presented to_day at a conference of representatives of governing bodies of swimming, life-saving and turf -work in the Dominion.

The report also revealed the apathy with which swimming was treated in primary schoo',3. Covering the year 1935, the figures illustrated a lack of facilities for swimming and showed that only 12 per cent, of pupils, leaving primary schools were certified as proficiency swimmers and' only 27 per cent were able to swim 25 yards. Over the past ten years deaths from drowning were 200 a year. When it was considered that the less was chiefly confined to five months of the year and that a large percentage of the population living away from the -sea was not affected by the risk it was time the Government was affected by the alarmingly high figure. "Compare with this the consternation over the road fatality figures and the s teps taken to reduce them,” Mr Saunders said. “When it is taken into consideration that road’ accidents occurred cn 365 days of the year and in every pant of the country the relative loss does not nearly reach that by drowning. Moreover, road accidents arb spread, older victims' being in the majority, but swimming as a pastime in which mainly the younger generation indulges. Accordingly the majority of drownings are found among the youth of <the country, lives well worth slaving.”

-Mr Saunders’ report was compiled from a survey of 1920 schools. He added a series of suggestions for increasing the attention given to swimming n schools.