A New Zealander who was seriously injured by the explosion of a ferry's engine in Indonesia will be flown to Australia for medical treatment.
Paul Sinclair, from Ashburton, was on the ferry going to Bail with his New Zealander partner Anna Love when a fuel line burst, setting it on fire.
Anna Love and Paul Sinclair. Photo: Supplied
His father, Allan Paul Sinclair, said he got a call from his son early this morning.
"Paul said there was a mighty bang and the deck opened up and they must have all got sucked down the hole, where the blast was," he said.
"The next thing, they were carrying him out on a surf board to take him to hospital. He didn't know what caused it."
Mr Sinclair said his son was now in hospital with a fractured back, while his partner Anna suffered some minor burns to her legs.
His son has received an MRI scan and he was to be airlifted to Darwin at 5pm, he said.
The pair have been on holiday in Indonesia for about a week and were due to come back to New Zealand on Tuesday.
MFAT has confirmed a New Zealander suffered moderate injuries during the explosion.
A spokesperson said the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta was offering consular assistance and will monitor his wellbeing.
"At this stage there are no indications other New Zealanders were on board the ferry but the Embassy in Jakarta remains in contact with the relevant local authorities," she said.
There were 331 New Zealanders registered as being in Indonesia.
