Police praise schoolgirls following dramatic river rescue

Hamilton Police are crediting the actions of a group of secondary school girls and yet to be identified members of the public following the successful rescue of a woman who fell several metres into a river.

Shift Manager, Senior Sergeant Wayne Petherick said emergency services were called to the eastern bank of the Waikato River, near the old Waipa Delta pier, about 1.30pm.

"We arrived to find a woman in a mobility scooter had plunged about 20m from a walkway into the river. At this time we don't know if this was as a result of a mechanical fault or operator error as we are concentrating on locating the woman's next of kin.

"Prior to Police arrival a group of Sacred Heart Girls' College students, assisted by other members of the public, entered the water and kept the woman's head above water. In a combined Police, St John Ambulance and Fire Service operation the woman was extracted from the water and her mobility scooter recovered."

Mr Petherick said he had little doubt the actions of the parties who entered the water played a major part in the successful rescue of the woman and Police would be looking at the most appropriate way of recognising the actions of those involved.

"The woman, who has been identified, was taken to Waikato Hospital by ambulance for a medical assessment.

"At this point we don't know the extent of any injuries or if her mobility scooter landed on her in the fall. Either way the people involved in her rescue have every reason to be proud of their actions."

ENDS

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