'I'm going to jail for this' Instructor's words after paddleboard trip ended in tragedy

A former police officer and paddleboard instructor who led a catastrophic excursion that resulted in the deaths of four people has been sentenced to more than ten years in prison. Nerys Lloyd, 39, led Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40, on a paddleboarding trip as part of an outdoors weekend in late October 2021.

Andrea, Morgan and Nicola all died after they reached a fiercely fast-flowing Haverfordwest town weir on the River Cleddau which they were unable to navigate as they were sucked into it "like a washing machine", Swansea Crown Court heard on Wednesday. Also on the trip was fellow organiser Paul O’Dwyer, 42, who also died after he jumped back into the river in an attempt to rescue the three.

The court heard how the trip was risky from the beginning. Lloyd was "not remotely qualified" to lead the tour on the River Cleddau that saw the paddleboarders go over the weir during "extremely hazardous conditions” including flooding and severe weather. Mrs Justice Mary Stacey explained that on the day there was no mention of a weir to the participants, four were not wearing wetsuits and one had decided a life jacket wouldn’t be appropriate.

It was clear some had expected not even to get wet and yet the river was particularly fast flowing with heavy rainfall sufficient enough to mean weather warnings were in place. So fierce was the river on the morning of the tragic incident that 2,000kg of water was passing over each metre of the length of the weir every second.

The organised group of eight had set off shortly before 9am. The court heard an assessment of the area of sorts had been carried out which involved Lloyd studying the stars. Mark Watson KC, for the prosecution, told the court none of the