St John staff are called to McLaren Falls every few months to deal with injuries. Photo / Alan Gibson
A young girl has had a lucky escape after jumping off a bridge at a popular picnic spot near Tauranga, sparking fears she had been paralysed.
The 13-year-old from Howick, who was with family and friends, jumped off the bridge 12m above water at McLaren Falls.
When she
surfaced she complained of pain in her legs, prompting fears of a spinal injury.
With some people choosing the bridges, the rocky areas or even the waterfall to jump from, McLaren Falls is liked by locals wanting to get a bit of air time before cooling off in the water.
Aucklander Kim Lane had watched the girl standing on the bridge for "a good 10 minutes" before summoning the courage to jump. "She was sort of getting egged on but she certainly seemed quite adventurous.
"It was a long way up. There's no way I would have let anyone do that, but apparently the locals say it's fairly common for kids to do that."
Her husband, Richard, a fireman, was swimming close to where the girl landed.
"She couldn't use her legs to help her swim to the edge and was complaining about how her knee hurt so Richard helped her to the rocks," said Mrs Lane.
Mr Lane immediately called an ambulance and stayed with the girl.
She was taken to Tauranga Hospital for x-rays but it is understood her injuries were not serious.
St John Tauranga team manager Ken Hansen said the girl was "very lucky" to emerge relatively unscathed.
He said St John staff were called to McLaren Falls about once every two months to deal with injured people. Some have jumped off the bridges or from the top of the waterfall. Others have slipped on rocks.
"This girl is very, very lucky as many people who have been taken out of there are paralysed as a result of their falls."
Bridges in the McLaren Falls area are well fenced and signs warn against jumping.
Mr Hansen reiterated that warning, but conceded jumping would probably remain a "popular recreational pastime for some".
