2 weeks Ago By The Guardian
A former police officer has been jailed for 10 years and six months after leading a paddleboarding expedition on a rain-swollen river that ended in four people losing their lives. Nerys Lloyd, 39, pleaded guilty to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work offence over the tragedy on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest, south-west Wales. Morgan Rogers, 24, Nicola Wheatley, 40, Andrea Powell, 41, and Lloyd’s co-instructor Paul O’Dwyer, 42, a former soldier, died in October 2021.
During an emotional two-day sentencing hearing at Swansea crown court, relatives of the victims claimed Lloyd, who had been a firearms officer, was arrogant to guide the group despite the stormy conditions and her lack of expertise, and said she had shown no remorse over her failings. Lloyd, who had been at the front of the party, managed to navigate a weir in the river by shooting through a fish ramp. But other participants fell from their boards after plunging 1.
3 metres over the weir. The court heard almost two tonnes of water was crossing a 1 metre-wide section of the weir crest every second. O’Dwyer scrambled out but died after going back into the water to try to save the others, who were all described as either beginner or intermediate paddleboarders.
The court heard that Lloyd was suspended from South Wales police at the time of the tragedy after accepting a caution for a fraudulent insurance claim involving a vehicle. She had advertised the River Cleddau trip on Facebook for £149 a person to include overnight accommodation and supervision by two “fully” qualified instructors. But Lloyd did not carry out risk assessments or obtain next-of-kin details for the victims – leading to a delay in contacting some family members, the court heard.
The tragedy led to calls for regulations around paddleboarding to be tightened. One woman who was part of the group but survived, Melody Johns, told the court: “Paddleboarding is largely unregulated and boards are still being sold without quick release leashes that can save lives. Many people are continuing to buy boards without much thought about safety.
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