Man seriously hurt in leap from ferry

A man was in hospital in a serious condition last night after jumping off an Auckland-bound ferry as it left Devonport.

He was pulled from the water by an engineer and coastguard officer after apparently trying to leap back on to the wharf.

Acting Senior Sergeant Kyle Bilbrough said the 53-year-old suffered a head injury and needed to be resuscitated at the scene after his rescue.

"Witnesses were able to confirm that the man had been a passenger on the ferry and had rushed through an exit door and attempted to jump off the vessel, back on to the wharf," as it was leaving.

A number of passengers and others at the ferry terminal were detained while police investigated the incident, which began at 4.15pm.

Fullers chief executive Doug Hudson said sailings were cancelled for more than two hours while police inquiries continued. Many passengers caught taxis.

He said a crew member from the Kea jumped into the water to help the man. Coastguard duty officer Mark Leevers said the engineer did a great job keeping the man's head above water until rescue services arrived. A coastguard officer also got into the water.

The man was taken to North Shore Hospital.