Deadly Paddleboarding Adventure: UK Tour Guide Sentenced for Negligence
Tour operator sentenced for fatal paddling excursion, resulting in four deaths - Tour operator under arrest over four kayaking fatalities
Get the scoop on this shocking tragedy in the United Kingdom!
A tragedy on the River Cleddau, Wales, claiming four lives and leaving one on trial for gross negligence has rocked the country. Last month, Nerys Lloyd, a former police officer turned tour guide, was sentenced to a lengthy prison term.
Remember the tragedy in October 2021? A paddleboarding trip taken by nine brave souls, our fellow citizens, ended tragically near Haverfordwest. In the aftermath, three participants and the tour leader lost their lives due to a flood, with heavy raincatching them off guard.
"No safety briefing, no warning about the weir"
Now, the Crown Prosecution Service has come forward, stating that Lloyd, the tour organizer, was inadequately qualified for the job and that the disaster was indeed preventable. The judge at Swansea Crown Court slammed Lloyd for neglecting a crucial safety briefing, failing to inform her group about the local weir, and omitting updates on the river conditions. Amid the chaos, Lloyd's remorse was evident, despite the fatal outcome that fateful day.
- Wales' River Cleddau
- London's Castles and Courthouses
- The Tragic Tour Leader, Nerys Lloyd
Some insights on this grim case:
- The 2021 paddleboarding disaster, which claimed the lives of Paul O'Dwyer (42), Andrea Powell (41), Morgan Rogers (24), and Nicola Wheatley (40), unfolded under Lloyd's watch despite the active Met Office weather warnings and a Natural Resources Wales flood alert.
- Lloyd copped to four counts of gross negligence manslaughter and one Health and Safety at Work Act violation, garnering her a 10-year, 6-month sentence at Swansea Crown Court on April 23, 2025.
- The tour group met their demise in "extremely hazardous conditions," with factors such as escalated water levels at Haverfordwest Weir contributing significantly to the calamity.
Lloyd appeared emotionless at sentencing but managed to utter a "thank you" to the judge. The pain in the hearts of the families and friends of the victims still lingers, as the uncertainty of the water's edge continues to haunt them all.
- A victims' families and friends continue to grieve, as the tragic paddleboarding incident on the River Cleddau, Wales, in October 2021 claimed four lives and left one organizer facing justice.
- Nerys Lloyd, a former police officer turned tour guide, was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act violation, earning a 10-year, 6-month sentence at Swansea Crown Court on April 23, 2025.
- Prosecutors believed Lloyd, the organizer, was inadequately qualified for the job and that the disaster was preventable, as she neglected crucial safety briefings, failed to provide warnings about the local weir, and disregarded updates on the river conditions.
- The tragic episode unfolded despite active weather warnings and a Natural Resources Wales flood alert, causing an unforeseen accident in very hazardous conditions near Haverfordwest.
