DHL And SLSNZ Urgently Encourage Kiwis To Educate Themselves On Beach Safety Knowledge With New Interactive Game

• In what’s shaping up to be one of the worst years yet for beach tragedies; alarmingly 19 people have drowned at beaches around the country this season
• Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) and DHL are urgently encouraging Kiwis to educate themselves on beach safety knowledge with a new interactive game

DHL Express, the world’s leading international express service provider, has worked with its long-term partner, SLSNZ, to create ‘DHL Claim Your Spot’; an interactive digital game that helps Kiwis to improve their beach safety knowledge and understand the dangers before entering the water as summer tragedies at beaches across the country increase.

There have been 19 preventable drowning fatalities at beaches across New Zealand since 1 July, 2021. An average of 36 people drown at beaches across the country each year (tracked from 1 July to 30 June), which means this year so far is shaping up to be one of the most tragic ever. With the increase in tragedies, it's important to know the common dangers before you arrive at the beach to help keep you and your whānau safe; DHL Claim Your Spot is aimed to be simple, but effective in remembering these life saving tips.

“It’s been a particularly tough summer for our surf lifesavers and it’s far from over,” says Surf Life Saving National Search and Rescue Manager, Allan Mundy. “What is most upsetting for our team is that nearly all fatal drownings are preventable. By sticking to the simple Surf Safety and general water safety rules, we can all stay safe when in the water. We’re desperately encouraging Kiwis to revise their beach safety knowledge and learn how to look after themselves and their loved ones before heading to the beach this summer.”

“The DHL Claim Your Spot game is a great way for anyone to upskill themselves before heading out onto or into the water this summer as well as checking out the safety messages on the SLSNZ website.”

Mark Foy, DHL Express Managing Director, New Zealand and Pacific Islands said, “We’ve been working closely with the team at SLSNZ since 2003 and we’re proud to support our surf lifesavers who are working so hard over summer to keep us all safe. It is important we all do our part to look after ourselves in the water and that is exactly why we’ve created ‘DHL Claim Your Spot’, to help Kiwis ensure they’re well-versed in beach safety.”

“We want you to have a good day at the beach, and to come home safely,” says Mundy. “The support of sponsors like DHL enables us to help make sure this happens. We’re extremely thankful to DHL for helping people learn and remember the key beach safety messages, especially during this particularly alarming year.”

The digital campaign, ‘DHL Claim Your Spot’ - which runs from 19 January to 28 February - encourages Kiwis to take additional precautions when setting up their towels at the beach. By visiting DHLclaimyourspot.co.nz and answering water safety questions correctly, players will be given a ‘towel’ to place in a randomised location on the digital beach. DHL and SLSNZ have together chosen a spot on the digital beach and the player who places their towel on the matching spot will win $4,000, including $2,000 for themselves to keep and $2,000 for their New Zealand surf club of choice.

Each year, 4,500 of New Zealand’s local surf lifesavers help to keep more than 80 New Zealand beaches safe through the long summer months, with the support of around 18,000 members including DHL Express, but it is evident there is still a job to be done with education.

The Surf Lifesaving New Zealand beach safety key messages can be found on the website here.

Key Statistics:

• New Zealand has a 46% higher beach and coastal fatal drowning rate per capita (per. 100,000) than Australia
• In New Zealand 46% of beach drownings occur within the three summer months of December, January and February
• There has been an 18% increase in the number of beach and coastal fatal drownings over the last five years, when compared to the previous five years
• Over the last 10 years, 38% of beach and coastal fatal drownings occurred at a surf beach in New Zealand

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