Police divers have recovered the bodies of the mother and child who were killed after a tractor drove into a North Otago dam.
Nadine Tomlinson, 33, was driving the tractor and trailer unit on a farm near Dunback when it lost control, slipping into the reservoir on Sunday afternoon.
Her son, three-year-old Angus Tomlinson, also died in the accident.
Federated Farmers president Katie Milne told Newshub the accident was a "heart-wrenching tragedy" for the community and rural New Zealand.
She says its an "extremely uncommon" incident.
"It's part of the fabric of rural New Zealand, from time to time we have our kids with us potentially in the tractor or on the farm whatever it is doing the daily jobs," Ms Milne said.
"It's an absolutely tragedy - the community is absolutely gutted. I'm really feeling for the family involved," Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher told Newshub.
In Canterbury, an 11-month-old drowned after falling into a water race at a Rolleston house around 4pm.
They were taken to hospital in a critical condition, but later died.
Ms Milne expressed her sympathies to both families and small town communities who will be affected by both drownings.
Newshub.
