Dusk quad bike ride leaves girl, 15, dead and 14-year-old seriously injured

The Taupo based Greenlea rescue helicopter was called to airlift the 14-year-old girl.

 

A tandem ride on a quad bike at dusk has ended in tragedy for a rural Waikato family. 

After the girls crashed in remote sand dunes, one, 15, was dead.

Her relative, 14, was seriously injured.

Emergency services were called to the site on a private clay road at Taharoa, south of Kawhia, at 6.44pm on Sunday.

 

By then, the older girl was gone. 

Her neice was driven out of the crash scene off Rotopuhoe Rd on the back of a ute to waiting ambulance staff. 

Police said the girl had been on the quad bike at the time of the crash. 

The Taupo-based Greenlea rescue helicopter flew to the helicopter pad based at the Taharoa iron sands mine site and retrieved the survivor. She was flown to Waikato Hospital in a serious condition. 

She suffered spinal and internal injuries, a helicopter spokesperson said. 

"She was transported in the back of a ute but the ambulance met them - it's pretty isolated out there and they had to get her out in a four wheel drive."

The teen was conscious but in pain and accompanied on the flight by her aunt, he said.

"She was lovely - a bright and sparkly little kid."

Both girls were from a local Taharoa family. On Monday, tributes were flowing on social media for the teenage girl who died. 

The girl's older sister wrote online: "I still can't come to realisation that you've left me. I hoped that I would wake up today and it would all just be a big nightmare! But its not you're gone my baby sis.

"Thank you for helping me sleep last night I asked you to watch over me and calm me down so I could get some rest I felt your presence and thanks for comforting me my guardian angel. See you today it's definitely gonna be heartbreaking for me to see you. I'm gonna print out our photos we have together so I can put them in front of your coffin even the ones you hate. Love you forever my baby."

Another girl wrote; "My beautiful baby cousin - this pain of not only having to say goodbye but seeing the hurt of your mum & sisters & brother. I feel so much for them right now. I'm sorry you had to leave us baby girl. You had the most beautiful heart I have ever known."

Police Serious Crash Unit is investigating. 

"Police offer their sympathises to the friends and family of the deceased at this tragic time," police said in a statement. 

 

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