An 11-year-old girl sustained critical injuries when a ski boat hit a half submerged tree stump in the Hartbeespoort Dam, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.
The NSRI was alerted about the accident involving a mother and father, their son, 5, and daughter, 11, and another boy, 11, who is a friend of the family, about 3pm on Saturday, NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam station commander Arthur Crewe said in a statement.
“On arrival on the scene, we found a 15-foot ski-boat may have struck a semi-submerged tree stump, most likely washed into the dam from the Crocodile River in the recent rain floods ... sing at least four of the five people on the boat to be thrown out of the boat on impact and causing an 11-year-old female to sustain a critical injury in the accident ...
“We transferred the father, mother, their son and the family friend onto the SRU rescue craft and took them ashore. They were not injured.”
A Netcare 911 helicopter was dispatched to airlift the critically injured girl to hospital.
“On Sunday, it was confirmed that the child is in a stable condition in hospital.
“NSRI and all emergency services involved have the family in our thoughts at this time and we wish the child strength in her recovery.
“NSRI commend the swift response of our NSRI Hartbeespoort Dam rescue crew, SRU (Strategic Response Unit), HEMS Emergency Medical Services and the Netcare 911 Aeromedical helicopter to this call.”
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