Friends mourn 21-year-old 'good bugger' killed in tragic baler incident

Zac Johnston.

The 21-year-old man killed on a rural property at Five Forks, inland from Oamaru, on Thursday was a talented rugby player and a ''good club man'', the president of his former rugby club says.

Police confirmed Zachary Mark Johnston died after he became stuck in a hay baler, the fifth death on a rural property in the Waitaki district in the past six months.

Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called to the property near the intersection of Kakanui Valley Rd, Whitestone Five Forks Rd and Fuchsia Creek Rd, west of Oamaru, about 11am on Thursday.

Johnston's father, Donald Johnston, said yesterday it was ''too soon'' to comment on his son's death, and his mother, Nicola, declined to comment.

Zachary, a former Waitaki Boys' High School pupil and Lincoln University student, was a keen rugby player and represented the Maheno club, based south of Oamaru.

Club president Michael Hore said Johnston was a capable fullback and wing, and also played at halfback when needed.

''He was a good club man. He was green and black through and through.

''He was one of those good buggers, I suppose you could say.

"He was a good man around the club as well. If you could have more people like him in your club, it would be great. He would always be there, being a ball boy, even before he started to play for the seniors.''

Johnston played all of his junior rugby for Maheno and was part of the club's senior side for ''three or four seasons'', Hore said.

He played for Maheno when it won the Citizens Shield in 2016, a famous win for the club which finished with the wooden spoon the year before.

Hore said the club's senior team members had a ''get-together'' at the club on Thursday night to pay tribute to their team-mate.

''It hit a few of the boys pretty hard.

''Everyone was obviously in a bit of shock. We sort of celebrated him really. It's still pretty fresh ... We're just there for the family and anything they need.''

A WorkSafe spokeswoman said Johnston's death was the 17th farm fatality in New Zealand this year and the fifth this month.