Father-of-three crushed by bulldozer

The family of a father of three young girls who died after being run over by a bulldozer have no idea how the "experienced" operator came to be crushed beneath the machine.

Mark McGahan, 40, died on Friday afternoon while removing logs from a private property on Old Reservoir Rd in Karangahake, 6km south of Paeroa.

Police say details are vague, but a friend working with McGahan called an ambulance at about 1.30pm when he became crushed under the tracks of the bulldozer, halfway down a hill.

McGahan was dead when emergency services arrived.

His father, Robert McGahan, had travelled from Wellington yesterday to be with McGahan's family at their home near Hikutaia.

Robert McGahan said his son was a "good" husband to Pauline, his wife of 12 years, and "adored" his three young daughters, aged between three and 10.

He said McGahan had been talking about leaving the industry, where he ran a small company, Komata Cartage Contractors, because he wanted to try "something different".

"He was very experienced with machines, and was a stand-up guy - very well-respected," he said. "Everyone is in shock right now. It's all quite raw for everyone.

"There's still family coming here at the moment, and every time someone else shows up everyone gets very upset again.

"Pauline is very upset. It's such a sad thing to happen."

Pauline's parents, Alan and Ruth Ludwig, did not want to comment and said their daughter was too distraught to talk.

John Pullan was at the work site at the time of the accident. He was too upset to comment yesterday.

Senior Sergeant Danny Meade from police northern communications said McGahan somehow became trapped under the bulldozer tracks but details were sketchy.

Because he was working on a private property the Department of Labour were investigating.

Robert McGahan said the family would "stick together" and support each other through their loss.

"It's so sad for all of us."