11-year-old girl struck by jetski in Tuakau

The scene of the incident. Photo / Daniel Hines

An 11-year-old girl was recovering in hospital last night after being struck by a jetski at Tuakau, south of Auckland.

The accident happened on the Waikato River, near the Les Batkin Reserve, about 7.30pm.

She was conscious when paramedics arrived and was taken to Middlemore Hospital in a moderate condition, a police spokesman said.

Details of her injuries and the circumstances of the incident are not yet known. The area is popular with local boaties and holidaymakers.

A resident of nearby River Rd, who did not want to be named, said he had seen a large group of jetskiers on the water earlier in the afternoon.

He did not know whether they were the people involved in the accident, but said many people tended to forget about their speed when having fun.

"They were going crazy. We were on the boat going up the river. We came back and they were just speeding past us. It was like they were racing.

"The resident said more needed to be done to police the area, to stop such accidents happening.

"I hope that little girl is okay. It's not good what's happened. Somebody should police that somehow - like a ranger down there watching people's speeds."

- Additional reporting Ben Hill