Profile

Committed to public safety...

AquaSafe New Zealand was formed in 2006 with the primary objective of water safety research and event lifeguarding services. Since then, the company's focus has shifted to supplying water rescue equipment and defibrillators, and providing consultancy services to the water safety sector.

Our People

The managing director of AquaSafe New Zealand, Dr Jonathon Webber, is an advanced-qualified lifeguard (ret.) with over 35 years’ experience at Piha Beach on Auckland’s west coast. He is the senior advisor in lifesaving to Pakistan Aquatic Life Saving and a life member of Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Surf Life Saving Northern Region and the Piha Surf Life Saving Club. For Surf Life Saving Northern Region, Jonathon has been Director of Regional Services, Director of Lifesaving, Duty Officer and chair of the Operations Committee. He is a founding member of the International Drowning Researchers’ Alliance and a corresponding member of the International Life Saving Federation Medical Committee.

Jonathon has authored and co-authored several lifeguarding, water safety, first aid and resuscitation texts, national surf lifesaving policies and drowning resuscitation guidelines. He has presented and published work on drowning detection and lifeguard response, leisure-related injuries at New Zealand beaches, lifeguards’ perceptions and performance of CPR, bystander rescue, body recovery times on the New Zealand coastline, human factors in lifeguarding, airway management in drowning, and first aid training and resuscitation in an aquatic environment. His doctoral thesis, “Prevention, Rescue, Resuscitation”, considered the influence of surf lifeguarding practice in New Zealand on global drowning prevention.

AquaSafe New Zealand’s other team members are engaged on a project-by-project basis, depending on the need for specific skills and expertise. All of our team are highly experienced and qualified. We have access to local and international published experts in drowning prevention, risk management, accident investigation, event safety, lifeguarding, occupational health and safety, drowning detection, in-water survival, aquatic resuscitation and emergency care. Our team is comprised of active practitioners in their fields, ensuring they bring a real-world, evidence-based approach to the projects we consult on.

Website images courtesy of Bruce Burgess. Homepage image by Lucy G Design