The Australian tourist who drowned near Queenstown has been named as New Zealand endures a horror run of water-related deaths.

The body of 35-year-old NSW man Jonathan Jordan Young was recovered from Lake Wakatipu near the Glenorchy Waterfront Reserve on Sunday.

NZ Police say Mr Young drowned last Thursday when helping a child in the water.

The death is the second in a week in Lake Wakatipu.

Linkin Kisling, a 48-year-old Wanaka man, drowned on January 13 at the mouth of the Rees River, also near Glenorchy, after heading into the lake to assist his son.

New Zealand is suffering through an upswing in drowning deaths.

Last year, 93 people drowned in New Zealand waterways, a 14-year high.

Last weekend, six died across Auckland alone.

Drownings occurred in the unpatrolled Tawharanui Regional Park, north of Auckland, at Narrow Neck Beach on Auckland’s North Shore, at Big Manly Beach on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and at Takapuna.

Two people also died at North Piha, on the rugged West Coast, on Saturday evening despite attempts from off-duty lifeguards to save them.

Surf Life Saving NZ boss Matt Williams said Kiwis had a “laissez faire attitude” around water safety.

“As soon as that sun came out we’ve seen a lot of people go to the beach and jump straight in the water and they’ve forgotten to engage the brain,” he told Radio NZ.

“We want to step out of our car, put our jandals on the beach and jump into the water. That’s fraught with risk.”

Surf Life Saving say they hauled 50 in-trouble people out of the water over the weekend, including 16 in a single incident in Raglan.

They also report two spinal injuries were suffered when swimmers were dumped into the sand in rough surf.

Mr Williams said the six weekend deaths all occurred on non-patrolled beaches, urging swimmers to do so between the flags.

“The NZ mentality is that the ocean is our friend, it’s benevolent and we can swim everywhere,” he said.

“The extra five to 10 minute drive to go to a patrolled beach can and will save your life.”