Girl, 12, recovers after losing arm in boating accident
POLICE have been unable to recover the severed limb of a young girl who sustained ‘traumatic injuries’ in a boating accident on the Nepean River on the weekend. The incident has stunned the community.
Penrith
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AN “extensive” search of the Nepean River has been unable to recover the severed limb of a young girl, 12, who endured “traumatic injuries” in a boating accident on Saturday.
Detective Sergeant Steven Peroni from Nepean police has thanked the community for their efforts following the shocking incident, with many witnesses stepping to comfort the family and assist police in the aftermath.
Detective Sergeant Peroni said it was believed the girl’s arm was severed from the forearm down when it became tangled in a rope that was towing her behind the boat about 2.30pm.
He said on Tuesday despite an “extensive shoreline and water search” by police divers and the SES, the limb was not located.
The girl is now in a stable condition while she recovers in The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
A NSW Ambulance spokesman said the girl was conscious and breathing when paramedics arrived on the scene in Jamisontown on September 15.
He said a passing jetski rider had pulled her out of the water after she received “traumatic injuries” near the Tench Reserve Boat Ramp. “She was completely alert,” the spokesman said.
The incident has stunned the community.
A popular spot for locals, the river was packed with people on Saturday as temperatures in Penrith reached 33 degrees.
Several witnesses and members of the girl’s family were treated for shock.
Crowds watched on as nine NSW Ambulance paramedics and CareFlight’s critical care team treated the girl on the banks of the river before she was taken to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in a serious but stable condition.
Detective Sergeant Peroni said police would like to talk to any witnesses who helped the police investigation on Saturday — to assist with inquiries and thank them for their efforts.
“A lot of people did a lot of good work on that day,” he said.
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