Police may not be able to speak to the father of a boy killed when a 4WD rolled into a pond on the West Coast until next week as he is still too distraught.
Nine-year-old Tayne Bowes died but his eight-year-old sister Keira was rescued after spending about two hours in the submerged vehicle at the Ruatapu gold mine site south of Hokitika on Sunday night.
Police had hoped to interview their father as soon as possible but he is still very distraught and on medication following the tragedy.
"He is still not in a state to talk to us, unfortunately. We are not overly confident we will be able to speak to him until next week," police spokeswoman Barbara Dunn told NZ Newswire.
"It's hard to imagine what he's going through."
Police will wait to speak to the father before deciding whether or not to interview Keira.
"We are hoping not to have to interview her," Ms Dunn said.
The Toyota Hilux, driven by the siblings' father who worked at the mine, had rolled into the pond and filled with water.
The father managed to escape and ran 6km to raise the alarm.
When they arrived at the scene, Senior Sergeant Allyson Ealam and Sergeant Russell Glue smashed the vehicle's rear window to rescue Keira.
She was blue with cold but had managed to breathe in a small air pocket. She was treated in hospital for hypothermia.
NZN
