Trainspotter Gregory John Duncraft killed by steam engine in New Zealand as he took pictures Gregory John Duncraft was hit by locomotive in Greymouth, New Zealand He 'ignored two long whistle blasts as he stood on tracks' Witness said he was distracted by his camera as the train approached Mr Duncraft died from head and leg injuries after being airlifted to hospital A trainspotter was killed after being struck by a steam engine while trying to take pictures - and may have miscalculated its distance as he looked through his camera lens. Gregory John Duncraft, 50, was thrown into the air and suffered head and leg injuries after being hit by the train, which was travelling at 28mph, near Greymouth, New Zealand. Witnesses said the meat freezer worker appeared to ignore two long whistle blasts as engineers tried to warn him of the approaching danger during the incident on Saturday. Tragedy: Gregory John Duncraft, 50, who was hit by the train near Greymouth, New Zealand, appeared to ignore two long whistle blasts given by engineers as he took pictures (file image) He was airlifted to nearby Grey Base Hospital by the NZCC Rescue Helicopter but died later. Mr Duncraft was trying to photograph the steam train Ka942 as it made its way through Kokiri, and was standing on or near the tracks when he was hit, according the New Zealand Herald. One witness said he seemed distracted by his camera and could have thought the train was further away than it appeared. Photographer Stewart Nimmo said: 'It's really hard to know what happened, but sometimes things do look further away than they actually are.' The 200 passengers onboard were unaware as the tragedy unfolded, while horrified engineers who witnessed the accident have been offered counselling. One passenger, who was on the train for its return journey between Christchurch and Greymouth, said the driver did everything he could to warn Mr Duncraft. The unnamed woman told TVNZ: 'I feel for the deceased's family... but he was trespassing and shouldn't have been on the tracks. There were two whistles but he still didn't move. You can get a good picture without putting your life in danger. Rare: Mr Duncraft's death is believed to be the first steam engine fatality in in New Zealand since the 1990s (file picture) Michael Tollich, operations manager at the Mainland Steam Heritage Trust, insisted Mr Duncraft's death was a stark warning to stay clear of train lines. He said: 'I think that people need to understand that tracks are for trains. They are not for people to walk on. You should stay off the railway line. 'This is a tragedy because someone didn't do that.' Fatalities involving steam engines in New Zealand are rare. The last person killed by a locomotive was in the 1990s. Grant Craig, president of Federation of Rail Organisations of New Zealand, said: 'It's an absolute rarity because rail travel is inherently safe and the heritage operators around the country have an incredible track record.' Mr Duncraft's death comes just 18 months after his wife Sharon lost her battle with cancer aged 53. Police and the New Zealand Transport Agency are continuing their investigations, while his death has been referred to the coroner.