‘I don’t want that happening to anyone else’: All Black on losing his brother to drowning

As the summer drowning toll continues to climb, All Blacks lock Tupou Vaa’i has shared the childhood tragedy that changed his life - the death of his older brother in a south Auckland creek.

Vaa’i, who has Tongan heritage, was just five years old when his brother Tevita drowned in the summer of 2004.

The boys, aged five and seven, were playing near a creek close to their family home in Ōtara, Auckland, on what Vaa’i remembers as a normal, sunny day.

In a video interview for Water Safety New Zealand, Vaa’i says neither of them knew how to swim. They jumped into the water without understanding the danger.

“I just remember being in the water, looking up and seeing light and all these bubbles. I was scraping to get to the surface. I managed to pull myself out and remember crying all the way home.”

Vaa’i told his father what had happened and watched him sprint out the door to search for Tevita, who did not survive.

Watch Tupou Vaa'i's interview with Water Safety New Zealand below.

Now 25, Vaa’i says the loss still weighs heavily. “He would have been 27 today. I just want to share my story because I don’t want people to go through what I went through.”

His message comes as Water Safety New Zealand reports a worrying start to the year, with 22 so far this summer, which is almost double the number at the same time last year.

Glen Scanlon, chief executive of Water Safety New Zealand, told the NZ Herald the deaths are a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong around water.

The Ōtara Creek flows into the Tāmaki River, 2009. Photo/Wikimedia Commons

“No one goes to our beaches, rivers and lakes expecting to get in trouble,” he says. “We want everyone to enjoy the water and get home safely.”

Figures show summer is the deadliest season for drowning in New Zealand, with an average of 86 people dying each year in preventable incidents.

In Auckland, 39 per cent of drownings occur at recognised high-risk locations, particularly West Coast beaches.

A greater risk

Pasifika communities remain overrepresented in drowning statistics, accounting for around eight per cent of drowning deaths nationally and 17 per cent in Auckland.

Despite growing up surrounded by water, Vaa’i says he only learned to swim as an adult, gaining confidence in the water just two years ago.

“I don’t think my parents, especially coming from the islands, knew swimming lessons were important, and I didn’t think it mattered until my own incident with the water.”

Tupou Vaa'i in action for the All Blacks during the Round 4 Rugby Championship match against the Argentina Pumas. Photo/Photosport/AAP/Darren England

Becoming a father has given water safety new urgency. Vaa’i has already enrolled his son, who is not yet one year old, in swimming lessons, determined to give him the skills and confidence he never had as a child.

Water safety advice

Water Safety New Zealand is urging people to take extra care this summer. The organisation also warns that many drownings happen unexpectedly through slips and falls, even when entering the water was not planned.

Alcohol remains a major risk factor, particularly near rivers, lakes, and the coast.

For Vaa’i, the message is deeply personal and simple: “I don’t want that happening to anyone else.”

Vaa'i re-signed with New Zealand Rugby and the Waikato Chiefs until 2027, but his 2025 season was cut short by a knee injury, though he's expected to return for the Chiefs' preseason this year.

He earned 38 Test caps by mid-2025 and is considered a cornerstone for the Chiefs and the All Blacks.