The man who died on a Christchurch beach yesterday afternoon was trying to save a child from the same fate.

Emergency services were called to Spencer Park beach 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.

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.

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.

Water Safety New Zealand chief executive Daniel Gerrard. Photo / Supplied

“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.”