Lifejacket promotion deemed success despite Muriwai drownings

A twelve-year project stopping people from rock-fishing without lifejackets is being called a success, despite two deaths at Muriwai Beach on Monday. A man and a woman died there after being swept off the rocks while fishing. Water safety group Drowning Prevention says the number of rock fishing drownings has dropped from nine in 2005 to none last year. Spokesperson Harry Aonga told RNZ reporter Katie Doyle the drop can be attributed to a campaign that was launched in 2006, after a spate of rock-fishing drownings.