Water skiing is a popular pursuit on Lake Taupo. Photo / Dean Purcell
The driver of a boat that ran over and killed a nine-year-old girl on Lake Taupo today has been interviewed by police, who say it is too early to say whether charges will be laid.
The girl had been water skiing on Lake Taupo behind her parents' boat
near Two Mile Bay at 9.50am when the accident happened, Detective Senior Sergeant Todd Pearce of Taupo CIB said.
She had fallen off her skis and her parents were turning their boat around to come back to her when another boat, coming from a different direction, ran over the top of her, he said.
The girl's injuries were very serious and she died at the scene, Mr Pearce said.
"We are at the early stages of our investigation and it will take at least another day or two before we have a full understanding of what has happened.
"This has been a terrible loss to this family and we are doing everything we can to support them through this dreadful time."
Mr Pearce said the driver of the boat stopped and helped the girl and her family.
He had been interviewed by police this afternoon.
The boat involved had been seized for the purposes of a marine engineer's and police examination.
It was too early to say whether or not criminal charges would result from the police investigation, Mr Pearce said.
"We are conducting a criminal and coronial inquiry at this stage, and a maritime safety investigator will commence a separate investigation from (tomorrow)."
Police were appealing for anyone who had not been spoken to yet, and who had information or witnessed the event, to contact them.
Mr Pearce said he hoped to be able to release the girl's name and where she was from tomorrow after all of her next of kin had been notified.
- NZPA
