Short, sharp dip for swimmer

A paddle in Waihi River has left a young girl with stitches.

Ten-year-old Penelope Livesey was paddling at the river, near the town centre with her grandparents, when she was cut with what her doctor suspects was glass.

Nana Elizabeth was on-hand and noticed a pool of blood and now wants to warn other caregivers.

"She was walking along the river and gave a sort of yelp, I thought she had stubbed her toe, then I saw a pool of blood.

"We took her straight to the doctor and she had a number of stitches and can't go back to school for a few days. It was quite a large gash.

"The doctor thought it was probably from glass."

She warns others swimming or paddling in rivers to wear footwear.

"We go there quite often and there are lots of kids with nothing on their feet, they really need to wear protective shoes because there is a lot of glass out there."

- © Fairfax NZ News