Clutha Valley Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Richard Hunter said his crew were in shock after attending the accident in Clutha Valley Rd early on Saturday.
“One of their own” - volunteer firefighter Logan Sinclair - died in the crash.
Mr Sinclair’s brother Blake was also the victim of an accident, in 2013, aged just 18.
Blake died in tragic circumstances while out knee-boarding on the Waitahuna River with Logan and dad Mark.
Blake was dislodged from his knee-board and did not resurface after hitting the water.
Despite his father and brother’s frantic efforts to locate and rescue him, they were unsuccessful.
The young man’s body was not recovered until the following Saturday, caught in willow branches in the Clutha River, at Manuka Island.
The double tragedy is also the second recent loss for the brigade.
The death comes just 14 months after the brigade lost Blair Halder, 41, following a tractor accident on a Kononi property.
Mr Hunter said his crew were still talking about the loss of Mr Halder, and were struggling to process a second blow.
He said Mr Sinclair was a ‘‘great guy’’.
‘‘He was a great guy, very passionate for life, for his family, for the brigade. He loved his family, and we can’t express to them how sorry we are for this massive loss.’’
He said Fire and Emergency New Zealand was helping the brigade address the situation.
‘‘Fenz are great at wrapping round [the team]. It’s been less than 48 hours really, so we’re all still processing.’’
The latest tragedy comes just two months after the brigade celebrated its 50th jubilee.
