Prominent Southlanders are telling of the grief in the community after four teenagers from the province were killed in a crash in Invercargill on Friday.
Police today released the names of the four young men. They were Konnor Steele (16), Indaka Rouse (16), Kyah Kennedy (16) all from Bluff and O Maruhuatau Otuwhare Tawhai (17) from Invercargill.
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The teens were killed when the Ford Ranger they were in collided with a truck on Queens Drive just before 4pm on Friday.
The crash "was a tragedy for the Bluff Community as a whole", Southland Area Commander Inspector Mike Bowman said at a media stand-up yesterday.
Bowman said police were appealing for witnesses.
The crash "shook up all the emergency services involved", Bowman said, saying it was pretty traumatic for many who had families themselves.
The truck driver had minor injuries and has been discharged from hospital.
Tributes and photos have been posted and shared widely of the boys, whose deaths have shaken the Invercargill and Bluff communities.
"I'm sitting here writing this with tears in my eyes. Gone but not forgotten, taken too soon along with everyone else," said one friend.
"Frvr 16."
The family of another boy spoke of his death on Facebook.
His brother posted a photograph of them together, captioned: "Fly high little bro, I love you so much."
Their mother then wrote, "rest in love baby boy".
And the sister of another victim posted the last photo she took with him.
"Fly high little brother. Literally no words right now. Just lost," she wrote.
A family friend of Indaka Rouse, one of four teenagers killed in the crash, said she was heartbroken by the tragedy and has set up a GiveaLittle page for his whanau.
"As his mum and his family grieve for the loss of their son, we would like to be able to raise some funds in order to ease some financial strain so that his mumma can take some time to be with his brothers and sisters and grieve," a family friend wrote on Givealittle.
So far the Givealittle page that has been up for just under 24 hours has raised over $7000.
Te Runaka o Awarua kaiwhakahaere Dean Whaanga this morning said the Bluff community was grieving after the losses of the young men.
"It is a very sad moment for our community. We are just trying to pull together. Our marae is providing support for the families and we are rallying around them in this very sad moment."
He said Bluff was a tight-knit community.
"We probably know them all and everybody [here] is grieving. We as a community are coming together to support the families."
Southland Boys' High School rector Simon Coe said it was a difficult time for the Bluff, Invercargill and SBHS communities.
The four had attended Southland Boys’ during their schooling, Coe said, but none was a current pupil.
"Our thoughts are with the grieving families and we have reached out to support them.
"We are immensely saddened by the loss of four young men who had a life of potential and opportunities ahead of them.
"Our team, with support from the Ministry of Education, will be available for affected whanau and friends over the coming days and weeks as we deal with this tragedy."
Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt yesterday said he was "absolutely devastated" by both the crash and an alleged stabbing incident early on Saturday which left one man dead and another critically injured.
Kyah Kennedy played for many years for the Port Softball Club in Bluff and won the prize for the most valuable player under-17 this season.
In a statement his team mates say they are devastated, and that he was a one of a kind young man who was now flying with the angels.
Footage of the immediate aftermath of the crash seen by The New Zealand Herald showed members of the public, including an off-duty surgeon and nurse, frantically clambering on to the wreckage to try to help.
A woman who climbed on the back of the ute and reached through a broken window to try to save one of the boys had only seconds earlier swerved to avoid colliding with the ute herself.
"Let's get this guy out," she could be heard saying in the footage, posted on social media but since removed.
"They're the only person that's gonna live."
As the back door was wrenched off with a crowbar, one bystander said to the boy in the back "hang in there mate".
"How many's in the car?" a person shouts.
"Four or five," another answers.
None of the boys survived.
Bluff Community Board chairperson Raymond Fife said the crash was tragic for the community.
“It is a tragedy for all the families. The community will be supporting them and offering as much support as we can. They are well-known families in our community and our hearts are with them.
“There is a lot of hurt and grief for the people in Bluff at the moment.”
Family of one of the victims spoke of his death on Facebook.
His brother posted a photograph of them together, captioned: "fly high little bro, I love you so much".
Their mother then wrote "rest in love baby boy".
Another relative said: "There are no words to express how I'm feeling. I'm absolutely heartbroken I will miss you so much mate. Love you forever."
Flowers have been left at the police cordon surrounding the crash site.
Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds said Bluff had been hit hard by the death of the teenagers.
She said they were from big, well-known local families.
- ODT Online/Luisa Girao/RNZ and NZ Herald
