Nadine Tomlinson, and her three-year-old son, Angus, died on their family farm. Photo / Supplied
Nadine Tomlinson, and her three-year-old son, Angus, died on their family farm. Photo / Supplied
The death of Nadine Tomlinson and her three-year-old son, Angus, on a northern Otago farm was the community's "worst nightmare", locals say.
For husband and father Scott Tomlinson, it had been "24-hours of hell".
The pair died on their family farm near Waihemo on Sunday afternoon after crashing into areservoir.
Waihemo ward councillor Jan Wheeler said the whole community's heart went out to the family.
"It is the worst nightmare and so sad. It's sad for the community and sad for the district and the whole of the farming community throughout NZ will be feeling for this family- they are in our prayers," she said.
Scott Tomlinson told Stuff he and their other son, 18-month-old Sam, had gone out looking for them two hours after they left home on the tractor to do a couple of jobs around the farm.
He immediately knew what had happened when he came across skid marks near the irrigation reservoir.
"I couldn't see the tractor, I could just see skid marks going into the dam and I knew where she was."
"It's been 24 hours of hell, but with time it will sink in more. At this stage there's enough on [that] it's kept the days going," he told Stuff.
Tomlinson said his wife was a hard-working, driven woman who loved farming.
Angus was full of life and enjoyed spending time with his mum and being on the tractor, he said.
The water reservoir near Dunback in Otago where mother Nadine Tomlinson and her son Angus were killed in a tractor incident. Photo / Dean Purcell
Their deaths were a "freak accident", Tomlinson said.
Local community members believed recent rain making the ground wet was likely a factor in the crash.
"It's steep countryside where it happened and we've had a lot of rain so the ground's very wet and it's clay soil- it's just very, tricky to move around," Wheeler said. "We've been on our farm for thirty five years and my husband is very careful. He is aware just how dangerous it is."
A local from the rural community of Dunback-Morrison agreed.
"It had been raining so the grass was long and slippery, it would have been easy for the truck to slide."
They believed children should not be sitting in farm machinery without proper safety precautions being taken.
But Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said children on tractors was a "normal and important part of growing in rural New Zealand".
"That's been happening for generations- any kid in any vehicle is at risk.
"I don't think anyone should make a call from afar about what's right and what's wrong. It is part of growing up in farms, and kids going to work with their parents can be a positive thing," he said.
"The times an incident happens is pretty rare the amount of times kids are out on farms with their parents. There are risks in every environment."
A local woman who wished not to be named told the Herald she knew Tomlinson and her family.
They were "lovely", "really hard workers", and "really nice people", the woman said.
"It's terrible, it's really terrible."
WorkSafe New Zealand was advised about the incident and announced on Twitter they were investigating.
Otago Federated Farmers president Simon Davies said it might be time to look into policy surrounding farm machinery and children following the incident.
Davies said the family, their friends and the community should be given time to process before any action is taken or a review is made.
