Two bodies have been found in the search for a pair who went missing after a utility-terrain vehicle (UTV) accident in the Far North on Friday.
The summer evening swimming trip gone wrong happened in the community of Peria, when the UTV carrying six people rolled into a water hole off Fern Flat Rd.
Four people, including the UTV driver, managed to get out of the water and were taken to hospital with minor to moderate injuries.
Emergency services were called to the remote area just after 5pm on Friday.
A police car on Saturday was guarding the scene near where the two people went missing.
Both ends of Fern Flat Rd were blocked off by police for most of Saturday while dive squads concentrated their search in the Waikainga Stream.
Police said in an update on Saturday evening two bodies had since been recovered.
"A rāhui has been placed on the Waikainga Stream from Shepherds Rd to the Peria Saleyards Bridge," a police statement said.
'Have to be treated with respect'
Andre Syben does safety training for farm equipment like quad bikes. He said his heart goes out to the families of those involved but added many of the accidents New Zealanders suffer on quad bikes are avoidable.
"Obviously, six on a quad bike is just a no-no," he said. "Quad bikes are designed for one rider and one rider only and that's just the way it must be."
There had been four deaths on quad bikes this month alone.
"These machines have to be treated with respect," Syben said. "Quad bike deaths are unacceptable and we need to make the machines safer, and we need to be aware that the people that use them know how to use them."
It's unclear exactly what happened in the accident on Fern Flat Rd but it's a terrible end of year for the Far North families involved.
