A former police officer has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for her role in a deadly paddleboarding tragedy in Wales that claimed the lives of four people on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest.
Nerys Lloyd, 39, pleaded guilty to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work offence after leading an expedition in October 2021 that turned fatal due to her failure to assess dangerous river conditions.
The victims — Morgan Rogers, 24, Nicola Wheatley, 40, Andrea Powell, 41, and co-instructor Paul O’Dwyer, 42 — drowned after falling into turbulent waters near a weir that should never have been attempted. The incident occurred amid swollen river conditions following heavy rainfall.
Judge: “You Knew What You Should Do But Failed”
At Swansea Crown Court, Mrs Justice Stacey delivered a scathing rebuke of Lloyd, saying she had a duty of care as both a former firearms officer and RNLI volunteer and was “well versed” in safety protocols.
“You knew what you should do but failed to do it,” the judge said, noting Lloyd’s failure to check the state of the weir and provide participants with appropriate safety gear, including quick-release waist leashes instead of ankle leashes.
Participants were thrown into what the judge described as a “hydraulic spin,” likened to a washing machine, making escape nearly impossible.
Survivors and Families Condemn Lack of Remorse
During the emotional sentencing, family members of the victims accused Lloyd of arrogance and a lack of remorse. Relatives and survivors described her as unqualified to lead the group through such dangerous conditions and criticised her for trying to shift blame onto O’Dwyer, who died while attempting to rescue others.
The court heard Lloyd had previously been suspended from South Wales Police after accepting a caution for a fraudulent insurance claim. At the time of the paddleboarding event, she advertised the excursion on Facebook for £149 per person, including accommodation and supervision by “fully qualified instructors.” However, she failed to carry out any risk assessments or collect next-of-kin information — contributing to delays in informing families.
Tragedy Sparks Call for Paddleboarding Regulation
The incident has reignited calls for stricter regulation of paddleboarding in the UK. Survivor Melody Johns told the court that boards are still sold without essential safety features like quick-release leashes.
“Paddleboarding is largely unregulated,” she said. “Something needs to change.”
The judge ruled that Lloyd must serve at least two-thirds of her sentence before being eligible for release on licence.
