Kristen Govender, 15, was seen at the Gateway Mall last Wednesday, said her father, Vernon Govender. ) was injured, his scalp was torn, and he was unable to move from the waist down.
UPDATE – 10:04 AM, THURSDAY – 1/5/23
Representative images.
Durban: A teenager of Indian origin spent a week in the intensive care unit of a Durban hospital after getting tangled in her hair in her go-kart, resulting in bruised spine, spinal cord injury and torn aorta, South African online newspaper TimesLive reported.
Kristen Govender, 15, was seen at the Gateway Mall last Wednesday, said her father, Vernon Govender. ) was injured, his scalp was torn, and he was unable to move from the waist down.
Speaking about the incident, Govind said Kristen was wearing a helmet and had her hair pulled up in a ponytail. She was assisted by bystanders who called paramedics while the family was present, he said, according to TimesLive.
“The doctors said they weren’t rushing her into surgery because she was young. They were taking steps to see how her body would respond to the medication,” he said. “My focus was on getting her well, out of the hospital, Back to school. I need a lot of answers, but I’ll deal with it when my daughter gets home,” said the patient’s father.
Gateway Mall confirmed the incident last Wednesday at the Action Karting venue, TimesLive reported.
The shopping center said it would not comment on details of the incident at this stage “due to the sensitivity of the incident and out of respect for the family”. It said a management representative had been in contact with her father since the day after the incident.
“Members of our team also met with the family at the center’s management office. Security staff at the center responded immediately upon learning of the incident and called emergency services. The center’s security director remained on scene until the ambulance arrived. Get out of the center,” TimesLive quoted Gateway Mall as saying.
“The center will assist with any information, reports and details that families need,” he added.
