Blade lodged in face

A father of two who had an angle grinder blade lodged in his head was more concerned about his wife after the accident.

Barry Hart, 50, was using the machine on his Te Horo property, south of Otaki on the Kapiti Coast, about noon on Friday when the blade sliced through his skull.

The 22cm blade cut his face from above his top lip, slashing through his nose and an eye before wedging in his forehead.

Square Trust rescue helicopter pilot Waine Dick said Hart was in extreme pain and a lot of shock, but was more concerned about his wife Gyllian.

"He was coherent and able to make sure his wife was all right, which was very touching," said Dick. "He was in an extremely bad way but asked her not to look.

"He had a deep cut which went from just above his teeth, through his top lip, through his nose and one of his eyes and into his skull.

"The disc was still lodged in his face [and] there was a lot of blood, but his wife was brilliant. She was very strong."

Hart, who has two adult children, was flown to Wellington Hospital's emergency department with the blade still in his head.

Capital & Coast District Health Board communications manager Michael Tull said yesterday that Hart was in a "serious but stable condition" and out of intensive care after surgery on Friday night.

Hart's daughter Rachel, who lives in Christchurch, commented on her father's accident on her Facebook page. She hoped that "Dad is going to be okay", and wished she could be with her family right now.