Former police officer’s negligence leaves families shattered after fatal paddleboard disaster

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The families of three women who lost their lives in a paddleboard incident have strongly condemned the tour company owner, calling her a “stone-cold, heartless individual.” At Swansea Crown Court, emotional scenes unfolded during the sentencing hearing of former police officer Nerys Bethan Lloyd.

The tragedy occurred on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in October 2021, when the group’s paddleboards went over a weir amid “extremely hazardous conditions.”

Paul O’Dwyer, Morgan Rogers, Nicola Wheatley, and Andrea Powell all drowned in the incident. Lloyd, aged 39, has pleaded guilty to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The court heard she was “not remotely qualified” to lead the tour, with the sentencing hearing set to last two days, beginning April 22.

Ms Wheatley’s husband, Darren, expressed his long-held anger, calling Lloyd a “coward” and a “charlatan.” He accused her of caring only about herself and living life as if nothing had happened, hiding behind a “carefully orchestrated smokescreen” of charity work.

He recalled how Lloyd posted joyful pictures at a light display during the first Christmas after his wife’s death, showing “no sign of remorse.” Theresa Hall, mother of Morgan Rogers, said her daughter’s death was “for nothing more than profit.” She described how her life has been frozen since that day, mourning the brutal loss of her “beautiful, innocent daughter.” Hall vowed never to forgive Lloyd for what she had done.

Mark Powell, husband of Andrea Powell, tearfully recounted how they had moved to Wales for a better life, only for it to end in tragedy. He described the last goodbye to his wife before the paddleboarding trip, remembering her as happy and content. He questioned how a serving police officer could allow such a disaster, calling Lloyd “lackadaisical, unqualified, deceitful, wholly incompetent and not fit” to be responsible for his wife’s safety.

Prosecutor Mark Watson KC told the court that Lloyd and Paul O’Dwyer, who acted as an instructor, were “not remotely qualified” and that the river stretch was dangerous. Despite heavy rain and weather warnings, the group set off shortly before 9am, unaware of the weir and how to navigate it. Around “two tonnes of water” flowed over a narrow one-metre section of the weir every second, creating a hazardous drop of approximately 1.3 meters.

Text messages revealed that O’Dwyer suggested an alternative route, but Lloyd rejected it. Lloyd went ahead and safely navigated the fish ramp, but the group following her were swept over the weir and some became trapped. O’Dwyer initially escaped the river but re-entered to try to rescue others and was immediately dragged over; all four victims drowned.

Ceri O’Dwyer, who was on the tour, described her husband as the “kindest man” but admitted he made a “catastrophic error of judgment.” She criticized Lloyd for an “utter lack of remorse” and said she was met with blame and gaslighting instead of honesty. While acknowledging Paul’s role, she refused to let him bear more blame than deserved.

Lloyd appeared emotional when her friend Gemma Cox, who was also on the trip, spoke in her defense. Cox said Lloyd had shown daily remorse and never denied her role in the tragedy. She recalled the terror and heartbreak experienced on the river, remembering how they tried to save the victims.

The judge, Mrs Justice Dame Mary Stacey, adjourned sentencing until the following day, emphasizing that both the families and Lloyd deserved an explanation for the delay in bringing the case to court. The hearing is ongoing.