In her findings, released this week, Coroner Rachael Schmidt-McCleave said the death of David Alexander Divers, known as Alec, was an accident.
Mr Divers was found dead at the bottom of a farm gully at Beaumont Station, near Millers Flat, Central Otago, at 7.30pm on December 1, 2021.
He appeared to have been ejected from the grader he had been operating that day.
The 69-year-old had worked casually as a grader operator at Beaumont Station since 2019.
He was highly regarded for his machine operating ability, his vast knowledge of the station’s terrain and meticulousness about maintenance and ensuring machinery was operating correctly prior to use, Coroner Schmidt-McCleave said.
On the day he died, Mr Divers was using a 10-year-old Champion 720A Series IV grader (ex Fulton Hogan), described as well-maintained.
The grader had been owned by the station’s owner-operator, Richard Hore, for eight or nine years and was primarily used for maintaining and clearing the farm roads and tracks.
Mr Hore spoke to Mr Divers at 9.20am on December 1 and became concerned at 7pm, when he noticed Mr Divers’ vehicle still in the yard.
He attempted to contact Mr Divers by radio and cellphone and went to search for him.
Mr Hore found a section of farm track with visible tyre and blade disruption leading to a broken fence 30m away.
Searching the steep paddock that led to a steep gully, Mr Hore discovered the overturned grader and Mr Divers lying nearby.
Emergency services were called but Mr Divers was dead, Coroner Schmidt-McCleave said.
Mr Divers was in good health aside from polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).
The condition can cause aches and pains, stiffness, limited range of motion and may limit ability to perform everyday tasks and activities, like getting in and out of a vehicle.
A pathologist found Mr Divers’ died from injuries to his head caused in the bulldozer accident.
Southern District serious crash analyst Senior Constable Craig Bennett and Southern Hemisphere Proving Ground (SPHG) Cardrona 1 employee and grader expert John Weir, a friend of Mr Divers for 40 years, agreed Mr Divers had stalled the grader, which ruled out a medical event.
Once the grader stalled, there was limited time for Mr Divers to re-start the engine (with the two-lever mechanism required) and/or escape from the cab.
The blade position of the grader showed Mr Divers had moved
the grader’s blade back into travel mode.
The grader then stalled when Mr Divers attempted to reverse the grader on the edge of the ridge, as a hairpin turn would have been impossible.
Snr Cnst Bennett said the slope Mr Divers was working on was too steep for the grader.
"Consideration should be given to the usage of farm equipment (motor grader) that is essentially designed for flat road work, being used on steep high-country terrain. [I am] not convinced that the use of a motor grader for track formation on [such a] slope is appropriate given the limitations and age of the equipment."
WorkSafe initiated an investigation into the accident and took no enforcement action, Coroner Schmidt-McCleave said.
She found Mr Divers’ death was accidental.
