Swimmer seriously injured after being hit by boat driven by allegedly drunk woman

A swimmer has been left with serious injuries after being hit by a boat allegedly driven by a woman under the influence of alcohol on the River Murray in South Australia.

Emergency services were called to Mannum just before 7pm yesterday after reports a boat had collided with a swimmer.

The 20-year-old Mannum woman was taken to a local hospital before being airlifted to Adelaide with serious injuries.

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The driver of the boat, a 43-year-old West Lakes Shore woman, was arrested and charged with cause harm by dangerous use of a vessel, operate vessel without due care and operate vessel with prescribed concentration of alcohol - after she allegedly returned a positive reading of 0.142.

She was refused police bail and will appear in the Murray Bridge Magistrates Court tomorrow.