Man killed in 'freak accident' on SH4 near Whanganui knocked off the road

Road cones mark the fallen rocks on SH4. Photo / Emma Russell

A woman watched as her husband was hit by a falling rock and flung into the Mangawhero River on SH4 near Whanganui.

The man, 70-year-old Paul Lenard Batchelor from Taupo, was driving on SH4 with his wife when he stopped, with three other vehicles, to clear debris off the road near the Raukawa Falls.

A nearby resident, who does not want to be named, was alerted about the "freak accident" when two guys came rushing up his driveway calling for help at about 5.30pm on Sunday.

The farmer said he didn't see it happen but it all went down pretty quickly.

"The rock knocked him clean off the road and down the bank into the river. It was a decent hit," the farmer told the Chronicle on Monday.

The resident said he immediately rushed down there with the guys and found the man beside the river.

"He was in a pretty bad way."

The farmer was told the victim's wife witnessed the accident.

An ambulance passing by with another patient stopped to assist the group at about 5.45pm and immediately radioed for back up.

The resident, who owned the farm on the other side of the river, said the man was put on a stretcher and taken to his side of the river.

"The ambulance guys tried to resuscitate him but I think he died pretty instantly."

The scene on State Highway 4, where a man died while helping clear a slip.

The man was taken to Whanganui Hospital in another ambulance.

A police spokeswoman said police were still investigating the incident and details of the person killed would not be released until all next of kin have been advised.

The farmer said it was awful to see and he hadn't witnessed anything like it.

"It's bizarre really, you do so much dangerous shit in your life and then some poor bugger comes along and this happens."

Another nearby resident, Noel Gardiner, said he was out hunting when it happened but his wife had told him about it.

"A couple of months ago we had to go down and clear the road because it had been pretty wet and there were these tourists trying to get through."

Fallen rock on SH4. Photo / Emma Russell

Mr Gardiner said he watched as rubble came falling down.

"The tourists came right in close and we had to tell them to get back."

Mr Gardiner said it was a dangerous road but there wasn't a lot that could be done about it.

"The cliffs are pretty steep and the underground is papa so when it's wet it just slips off.

"It sounded like a bit of a freak accident really."

A blessing of the site was held Monday morning with local iwi and police present.

The death has been referred to the Coroner.

Police said they extend their sympathies to Mr Batchelor's family.