UPDATED 9.02am: The body of a 66-year-old Welcome Bay farm worker was found trapped under an overturned quad bike last night hours after he went missing.
St John acting territory manager Gary Bishell said the owners of the Waitaha South Rd farm had been away for the day and returned to found he had been missing since the morning.
They went out to search for him and found him under the bike about 6pm, he said.
"It was a quad bike who had rolled on a slope and he was trapped under the quad bike," Mr Bishell said.
"He'd been dead for quite a few hours."
EARLIER: Police and emergency services were called to the rural property yesterday and a Government inspector is expected to begin investigations this morning.
Acting Senior Sergeant Cam Anderson said the matter was being dealt with by Worksafe New Zealand, formerly the health and safety section of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (previously the Department of Labour).
The death has also been referred to the coroner, Mr Anderson said.
A Worksafe New Zealand spokesman said an inspector was expected to visit the property this morning but would not release any further details.