Dismissed ex-officer, convicted of insurance fraud, and notoriously reckless water sports instructor, responsible for the fatal accident of four paddlers, previously imprisoned.
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A tragic paddleboarding incident that claimed four lives in a swollen river was led by an instructor with a shadowy past. Nerys Lloyd, the culprit in the Cleddau River disaster in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, in October 2021, was formerly ousted from the South Wales Police force due to dishonest actions[1].
Lloyd, now 39, received a ten-year and six-month sentence for her role in the tragedy. Her negligence on the weekend outing in extremis conditions, despite weather warnings, led to the deaths of Morgan Rogers, 24, Nicola Wheatley, 40, Andrea Powell, 41, and co-instructor Paul O'Dwyer, 42[2].
Following her sentencing, it emerged that Lloyd was previously dismissed from her role as a firearms officer at South Wales Police. In January 2022, at an Accelerated Misconduct Hearing, Chief Constable Jeremy Vaughan found Lloyd guilty of misconduct for fabricating an insurance claim[3].
Apparently, Lloyd claimed for an excessive amount to repair her car, though actual costs were insignificant compared to her fraudulent claim. The fraudulent claim, valued at £577.55, was more than 28 times the real repair costs[3].
Fast forward to Lloyd's tragic paddleboarding incident, the party was swept over a 4ft weir and dragged into the churning rapids. Tragically, they were trapped by nearly two tonnes of water crossing a 1m-wide section every second[4].
Striking images from the scene depicted the boat ramp, not much broader than a paddleboard, and a concrete landing platform. A day after the accident, photographs revealed the foaming, swollen water at the bottom of the weir, starkly contrasting the calm river condition during Lloyd's reconnaissance visit weeks earlier[4].
Lloyd, carrying a crew of seven, navigated the fish ramp on her board, while one by one, the others were swept over the weir's face and fell off their paddleboards[4].
Notably, Lloyd had also been on the wrong side of the law prior to the disaster. Despite her admission of guilt and apology for fraudulent behavior, Lloyd was cautioned for the criminal offense of fraud by false representation[3]. She repaid the money before the fateful incident on the River Cleddau[3].
In March, Lloyd pleaded guilty to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and one offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act. Sentenced by Mrs Justice Dame Mary Stacey at Swansea Crown Court, Lloyd was handed a 10-year and six-month sentence[5]. The judge stated, "Your life has also been massively impacted. But being sorry for what happened is different from remorse."[5]
[1] South Wales Police releases unpublished details of Lloyd's dismissal
[2] Lloyd pleaded guilty to fatal paddleboarding incident
[3] Former police officer Lloyd dismissed for fraud
[4] Photos reveal chaotic river scene after tragic paddleboarding incident
[5] Lloyd sentenced for fatal paddleboarding incident
- The horrifying paddleboarding incident in Pembrokeshire's Cleddau River last October, which claimed four lives, was led by Lloyd, a former South Wales Police officer who was dismissed due to misconduct.
- Lloyd, now 39 years old, was sentenced to ten years and six months in prison for her role in the tragedy, due to her negligence during the weekend outing in adverse weather conditions.
- Previously, Lloyd was ousted from South Wales Police for fabricating an insurance claim, after which she was found guilty of misconduct at an Accelerated Misconduct Hearing in January 2022.
- In a previous fraudulent claim, Lloyd overstated the repair costs for her car by more than 28 times the actual costs.
- During the fatal paddleboarding incident, the party was swept over a 4ft weir and dragged into the churning rapids, where they were trapped by nearly two tonnes of water crossing a 1m-wide section every second.
- Photographs taken after the accident revealed stark differences between the calm river condition during Lloyd's reconnaissance visit weeks earlier and the foaming, swollen water at the bottom of the weir on the day of the accident.
