Victim of Wairoa quad bike tragedy named

Colin Hyde (left) as the Wairoa Show's oldest shearer, with shearing organiser Bart Hadfield. Photo / File

A well-known former shearer and shearing contractor has been confirmed as the victim of a quad bike tragedy on a property near Wairoa on Monday.

Colin Anthony Hyde, affectionately known as "Hyde Ho", "Raw Hyde" and "Legend", was 68 and died after an incident at a property in Kiwi Rd, between Wairoa and Frasertown.

Police had been called after he had failed to return from fencing on the farm, late on Monday afternoon.

A WorkSafe spokesperson said it was the third quad bike death in the Hawke's Bay region during the past three years.

148 notifiable incidents have also been reported in the Hawke's Bay region since the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 in April 2016.

One of those incidents involved a man in his 50s who is now in Hawke's Bay Hospital after a silage bale fell on him on a private property in Waiohiki between Napier in Hastings on August 8.

He remains in a critical condition.

The spokesperson said there were a number of factors that farm workers could follow to avoid such incidents occuring.

"WorkSafe analysis of quad-related incidents causing serious harm or fatality have resulted in clear guidance for farmers on a number of actions they can take to avoid incidents, or to mitigate the impact of incidents."

"WorkSafe also acknowledges that many farmers work in isolation and provides guidance that they should have in place systems to ensure that others know where they are and what time they should be expected to return.

"There should be regular reporting during that time, and updates if timings change.

"There is technology available which allows autonomous tracking and notification when incidents occur and farmers who work alone should be taking advantage of that to give themselves or those who work with them the best chance of survival."

Hyde was found about the same time 71-year-old Hamish John MacLean, of Kotemaori, died when the motorbike he was riding crashed on State Highway 2 south of Tutira, also in Northern Hawke's Bay.

From the East Coast, Colin Hyde retired from shearing to run Amigos Restaurant in Tolaga Bay, where he was on Valentine's Day 2003 when he and wife Jane were married, having known each other since meeting as shearer and woolhandler respectively 28 years earlier.

He was a strong supporter of the shearing competition at the Wairoa A and P Show, this year again shore in its veterans event, finishing third and being celebrated as the oldest shearer in the championships.

His funeral is at Takipu Marae, Te Karaka, with a service tomorrowat 11am.