Farmer found dead in drain after quad bike crash

File photo / NZ Herald

A farmer who went missing yesterday has been found dead in a drain on a rural road following a quad bike crash, just 600m from his home.

Tommy Tahinga Rupapere, 66, from Te Akau, did not return home after heading out on a quad bike with his two dogs to move stock yesterday morning, police said.

Search teams found his body under his quad bike in a drain beside a gravel road, hidden from view of passing cars, in the early hours of this morning.

Concerned family members called police after one of Mr Rupapere's dogs returned to his Te Akau Coast Rd home, but he did not.

"At about 4am Mr Rupapere's body was found under his quad bike in a drain beside the gravel road, but well below the level of the road," Waikato district road policing manager, Inspector Freda Grace said.

"An attending officer said that had he been standing up someone on the road would still have been unable to see him.

"At this stage it appears the crash has been a single vehicle one, involving only the quad bike, and the really sad aspect of it all was he was found just 600m from his home."

The man's dog was found alive with the quad bike, Mrs Grace said.

"This is a very sad incident for all involved and police are working with Worksafe New Zealand to conduct an investigation," she said.

"The investigation is currently in its formative stages and we would not like to speculate on the cause of the crash."

However, she urged farmers to consider ways to make going out alone safer, particularly if they are working in remote areas with poor mobile phone reception.

"There are things like VHF radios or even welfare check times where if someone fails to meet an agreed to schedule a sequence of events takes place or an alarm is raised," Mrs Grace said.

"Its all about removing the risk, no matter if you're outdoors for work or recreation, we all need to be safe."