A crewman aboard the boutique cruise liner Oceanic Discoverer was unconscious and fighting for his life after being trapped and crushed in a watertight door. "He was a very sick boy when we got to him," Senior Firefighter Peter Draper said. "He'd been trapped for about eight minutes before other crewman onboard managed to get the door open and free him. When we got there he had a slight pulse but was not breathing on his own." The 34-year-old crewman, understood to be the chief engineer aboard the Australian-registered ship, was taking part in a regular onboard fire drill at Port of Napier yesterday when he became caught in one of the hydraulically-operated steel doors inside the ship. After being found by another crew member, the alarm was raised by the ship's captain just before 10am and fire crews and St John Ambulance paramedics raced to the scene. The man's crewmates had managed to free him just as emergency crews arrived. St John Ambulance district operations manager Stephen Smith said advanced paramedics worked on resuscitating the man for about 20 minutes before he was able to be put on a recovery stretcher and taken topside. "He was unconscious and his condition was critical," Mr Smith said. The man, an Australian of Sri Lankan descent, was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital and underwent emergency surgery for crush injuries to his chest, pelvis and abdomen. His condition was listed as serious but stable. Erik van der Hout, spokesman for ship's agent ISS McKay, said he was unable to comment on the circumstances of the incident as it was under investigation by maritime authorities. He said the ship, which arrived early yesterday with about 60 passengers aboard, had been due to sail at 6pm but was delayed while inspections of the door were carried out by investigators It is expected to sail tonight, or as soon as initial investigation are complete. It was not known how long the injured man would remain in hospital. His family had been advised and a crewing replacement was being organised today.
