Auckland diver Michal Kováč critically injured after being dragged into SeaLink ferry propeller

The wife of a commercial diver who was critically injured this week says it’s a “miracle he survived” after he was dragged into the propeller of an Auckland ferry he was working beneath when crew turned on the engine.

Michal Kováč was performing maintenance work on a SeaLink ferry in Auckland’s Half Moon Bay Marina on Wednesday afternoon and had been taking photos of the hull of the ship with a GoPro camera.

Both WorkSafe and Maritime NZ are now making inquiries into the accident and there are questions about why the ship’s engines were engaged while a diver was still working on the ship.

Speaking from her husband’s bedside in Middlemore Hospital yesterday, Gillian Kováč told the Herald she understands the professional diver was climbing out of the water on a ladder when he was yanked back underwater by his safety umbilical cable.

“Obviously somebody started the engine and he got pulled under, I think his umbilical was wrapped around the propeller and he got pulled under when he was surfacing,” she said.

“He doesn’t remember much, but he just remembers a few seconds going under.”

It’s understood he suffered injuries either from the propeller or from a knock from the hull while underneath the ship.

Kováč, who is in his mid-30s and a Czech Republic native, suffered five broken ribs.

“He’s got cuts and lacerations throughout the body, legs and face, ears a little bit cut too. He’s got a blue eye, he’s been knocked on the eye by something, seemingly it’s the propeller underneath the boat. But he’s recovering well. He’s in ICU at the moment. But last night, obviously he was in an induced coma,” she said yesterday.

Police on the Sealink ferry at the Half Moon Bay ferry terminal. Photo / Dean Purcell

Kováč has been a commercial diver for years in Auckland.

He was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after the incident, which was reported to police and emergency services at 2.40pm. Several police officers were seen investigating onboard a SeaLink car ferry following the accident.

Gillian said her husband believed he was “unconscious when he got pulled under”.

Once he was pulled beneath the surface, Kováč's fellow workers immediately yelled to turn off the engine and rushed into the water to retrieve him.

Commercial diver Michal Kovác was critically injured in a workplace incident at Half Moon Bay marina on Wednesday when he was sucked into the propellor of a Sealink ferry.

“The diver’s supervisor went straight in barely dressed, and pulled him out and the rest of them joined to get him out,” Gillian said.

“He was given CPR by one of the supervisors. Then he was taken to ED at Middlemore Hospital. They had to sort of fix him up.”

Gillian said her husband underwent surgery on Wednesday night.

Doctors had now reassured her Kováč would survive and recover, despite remaining in intensive care.

Police onboard a Sealink ferry at the Half Moon Bay ferry terminal. Photo / Dean Purcell

Yesterday afternoon, Gillian was sitting with Kováč, who was awake and speaking to her. He had undergone a CT scan earlier that day.

“He’s awake now and just finding it very painful because he’s got the chest, he took in a bit of water that was [being] sucked out during the night. [He’s] finding it a little bit of a problem with the lungs,” Gillian said.

“He’s actually asking me what happened because he doesn’t remember other than coming up the ladder and passing a GoPro [camera] to someone, and then he just remembered being yanked a few seconds and that’s it.”

Gillian understands her husband will be able to be released from ICU in the next few days.

“Given the circumstance, all the doctors agree it’s a miracle he pulled through because most of the time you don’t, you know, survive something like this, but he’s doing better,” she said.

Several police were on the scene at the Half Moon Bay ferry terminal. Photo / Dean Purcell

WorkSafe NZ told the Herald it has been notified and was making initial inquiries into the workplace incident. However, “this is not an investigation at this stage”.

Maritime NZ told the Herald it was investigating the incident and working with WorkSafe to understand the circumstances around how a diver was seriously injured.

“Due to the circumstances of the incident, it could fall under the jurisdictions of either regulator depending on how it occurred,” a Maritime NZ spokesperson said.

“The agencies expect to have a better understanding about who will lead a potential investigation by the end of the week.”

SeaLink and Kováč's employer have both been contacted for comment.

“I’m just a little bit upset about the whole incident because these sorts of things shouldn’t be happening if a diver is still in the water … technically he wasn’t in the water but he hasn’t actually surfaced,” Gillian said.

“Obviously they weren’t aware that he was still sort of in the water and that his umbilical was still wrapped around the propeller.”

But given the risk to Kováč's life, Gillian was very relieved to have her husband - who she only married in January this year - awake and talking to her.

“Right now he’s awake and he’s doing well. Things seem to be improving,” she said.

“But we’re still actually trying to get more information.”