Long recovery for girl after go-kart choking

The girl is facing a long road to recovery. Photo / Thinkstock

The girl who almost choked to death in a horror karting incident remains in Starship hospital.

The Tokoroa girl suffered life-threatening injuries during a play-date between two 8-year-old friends on a lifestyle block in the Waikato town of Tokoroa two weeks ago.

It was only the quick actions of Janine Bass, whose daughter the girl was playing with, which saved her life. She chopped the girl's hair off as she was choking.

The two girls were sitting in a trolley being towed by her 13-year-old son when the hair of Bass' daughter's friend became entangled in the wheels of the kart.

The girl was flown to Waikato Hospital with life-threatening injuries, before being rushed to Auckland's Starship hospital. She has since been transferred out of the intensive care unit.

Bass said the girl still faced a long road to recovery.

When asked about her life-saving actions, she said: "I am not a hero. I just did what I had to do. It wasn't just me who helped.

"I just wish this had never happened. I am devastated. You think kids are having fun and the next minute it turns to horror."

Bass said she had receiving counselling after the incident.

"It is still pretty raw," she said. "We are all pretty much a mess."

Her son who was driving the kart was "pretty broken".