Paddleboard Company Owner Jailed for 10½ Years Over Fatal River Tragedy

Nerys Bethan Lloyd, 39, the owner of a paddleboarding company, has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after admitting to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter. The charges stem from the deaths of Paul O'Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40, who drowned during a paddleboarding excursion on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest, south-west Wales.

Lloyd, a former police officer and owner of Salty Dog Co Ltd, led the tour despite severe weather warnings and hazardous conditions. The court heard she failed to warn participants about a dangerous weir on the route or how to safely navigate it. The group was swept over the weir and trapped in a powerful hydraulic current likened to a "washing machine."

At Swansea Crown Court, Mrs Justice Stacey described the victims as having been "cut off in their prime." She criticised Lloyd for providing no safety briefing, failing to obtain next of kin information or consent forms, and allowing the use of unsafe ankle leashes unsuitable for fast-moving water. "There was no mention of the weir or any discussion of the tidal river conditions," the judge said. "The equipment used actively contributed to the victims being unable to escape the current."

CCTV footage of the incident, which the judge said was "too distressing" to show in court, captured the fatal moments. Weather warnings had been issued by the Met Office, along with a flood alert from Natural Resources Wales.

Prosecutor Mark Watson KC told the court that neither Lloyd nor O'Dwyer, who assisted during the tour, were adequately qualified, and that the section of river posed a known risk. The court was told Lloyd had later admitted to her wife that the tragedy was "100 per cent" her fault and that the group "should probably not have gone on the water." However, in the aftermath, she initially tried to shift blame onto O'Dwyer.

The judge criticised Lloyd for ignoring O'Dwyer's suggestions to choose safer alternative routes, noting: "Your focus appeared to be on offering an exciting experience rather than ensuring safety."

Heart-wrenching victim impact statements were read in court. Mark Powell, husband of Andrea, described the devastation their young son experienced after losing his mother, saying the boy expressed a desire to die so he could be with her again. "They had the most amazing bond," he said.

Ceri O'Dwyer, Paul's wife, said her husband had made a "devastating mistake" but died trying to save others. She accused Lloyd—once a close friend—of attempting to shift responsibility onto her husband, leaving her to face "blame, rejection, and gaslighting."

Theresa Hall, Morgan Rogers' mother, said the pain of losing her daughter was unbearable, both physically and emotionally. Darren Wheatley, husband of Nicola, condemned Lloyd as "a coward" who "hid behind a carefully orchestrated smokescreen."

GV Hale