The 10-year-old suffered serious leg injuries in the incident that happened on the Murray River about 10 kilometres downstream.

The boat was towing two knee-boarders when it collided with the girl on Thursday about 5.30pm.

She suffered significant lacerations to her legs and had to be flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne.

The girl’s condition was described as stable after she underwent surgery.

The accident came in the wake of a warning from Ambulance Victoria about the potential for disaster on the water should people fail to take care.

It said paramedics had treated 12 people injured in boating, water-skiing and jet-skiing accidents in the lead-up to New Year’s Eve.

But what made this especially pertinent for holidaymakers taking to the water in the Border region was that most of those injured were involved in mishaps along the Murray.

Ambulance Victoria group manager Steve Fumberger said six of the 12 people injured were involved in water-skiing accidents.

In one incident, a teenage girl suffered spinal injuries and another suffered pelvis injuries while skiing at Cobram.

The other incidents were further downstream, including a woman in her 20s who had to be flown by air ambulance to The Alfred hospital after suffering spinal injuries at Mystic Park.

She fell off a large rubber tube known as a ski biscuit.

In another incident, a primary school-aged boy suffered a serious cut to the leg when he was accidentally run over by a boat at Lake Boga, near Swan Hill.

Also, a man in his 20s suffered facial fractures after he fell while water-skiing near Mildura.

Mr Fumberger warned people to take care as they took to the water to escape the heat.

“If you are out on the water trying to beat the heat over the next few days it’s important to make sure you have safety equipment, including a way of contacting emergency services if something goes wrong,” he said.

“Never mix alcohol with boating or swimming.”

The incident in which the girl suffered leg injuries happened in the vicinity of Nevins East Beach.

Details to Deniliquin police on (03) 5881 9499, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.