Woman pleads guilty over deaths of four paddleboarders after taking them down swollen river
A woman has pleaded guilty in connection to the deaths of four paddleboarders in 2021.
Nerys Bethan Lloyd was the owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, a paddleboard tour company, was co-instructor on the day as she took them down a swollen river.
Appearing at Swansea Crown Court today (5 March), she was charged with four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
Released on unconditional bail until the sentencing on 15 April, the woman from Aberavon, South Wales, pleaded guilty to all charges.
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The incident took place on 30 October 2021 on the River Cleddau in Pembrokeshire which resulted in the deaths of Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40.
O'Dwyer was an instructor on the tour alongside Lloyd.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there had been heavy flooding on the day, with the river running fast and severe weather warnings in place. And an expert has described it as an 'avoidable tragedy' and it was revealed that Lloyd did not have the correct qualifications to run the tour.
As the group approached the weir, the three participants were pulled over the top and became trapped. O'Dwyer had initially exited the river safely before re-entering in an attempt to rescue the others.
However, he was immediately dragged over the weir. Four other people survived the incident.
Following his death, O'Dwyer's described him as 'a devoted husband, father, son and brother', whose 'passion for the water' began at an early age.
Lisa Rose, specialist prosecutor with the CPS special crime division, said: “This was an avoidable tragedy. Despite going to check the state of the river before departing on the tour, Nerys Lloyd failed to inspect the weir.
“The majority of participants had limited experience, and Lloyd was not qualified to take paddleboarders out in such hazardous conditions.
“There was no safety briefing or formal risk assessments, and the participants were not advised that they would be traversing a weir or instructed on options to get out of the water."
O,Dwyer, Rogers and Wheatley all died at the scene while Powell died in hospital on 5 November 2021.
“Final decisions to continue with the event were Lloyd’s decision, and as a result she held complete and entire responsibility.
“I hope these convictions provide some sense of justice for those affected and our thoughts remain with the families and friends of the victims at this time.”
Jess Battison