A young farm worker has been killed after the tractor he was driving appears to have rolled.
22-year-old Samuel Pratt, from Ashhurst, had been using a tractor to turn over soil prior to planting at a farm off Huia Iti Road, Pongoroa.
At 9.30pm when Samuel hadn't arrived back at the farmhouse a concerned colleague went looking for him. The colleague found Samuel's tractor in a paddock on its roof midway down a steep hill. Samuel was deceased and trapped by the tractor.
Heavy machinery was used to lift the tractor unit to free Samuel from the scene.
The death is not being treated as suspicious but the circumstances are being investigated by Police on behalf of the Coroner. The Department of Labour has been notified.
Media enquiries should be referred to Communications Manager Kim Perks on 027 234 8256.