The owner of a paddleboard business who caused the deaths of four people in a river in south-west Wales has been jailed for 10 and a half years. The court heard Nerys Lloyd, 39, had been “completely reckless” to take a group of inexperienced paddleboarders into the flooded river and weir in Haverfordwest.
Prosecutions
Paddleboard company owner jailed after “reckless decision” leads to deaths of four people
By
on 01 May 2025
Delivering the sentence, Mrs Justice Stacey, in a video shared by the BBC, said: “One by one in no more than 20 seconds the group fell down the face of the weir into the water below where they were sucked into the hydraulic jump or spin, a re-circulating flow or tow back like a washing machine.”
“The ankle leashes attached to the [stand-up paddle] boards... were totally unsuitable for fast flowing water, made it even harder for them to get free.”
Lloyd, from Aberavon, owner and sole director of Salty Dog Co Ltd, was charged with the gross negligence manslaughter of Paul O’Dwyer, 42, Andrea Powell, 41, Morgan Rogers, 24, and Nicola Wheatley, 40.
The river at Haverfordwest Town Weir. Photograph: HSE
It was heard how, on 30 October 2021 Lloyd, helped by Paul O’Dwyer, planned a trip organised through her business. The day had seen heavy flooding, and severe weather warnings were in place.
The river was running fast, and Haverfordwest Town Weir, where the incident took place, was in an extremely hazardous condition. Lloyd did not check the weir or provide a safety briefing to the participants nor tell them there was a weir.
As the group approached the weir, apart from Lloyd, all the paddleboarders were pulled over the top into its base and became trapped before being ejected. Four of the participants survived.
Instructor Mr O’Dwyer, who initially exited the river safely, re-entered the water in an attempt to rescue the others, but was immediately dragged over the top. The four victims died as a result of drowning.
A joint investigation by Dyfed-Powys Police and HSE found that Lloyd was not correctly qualified to lead a stand-up paddle board river tour.
Nerys Lloyd. Photograph: HSE / Police
Investigating HSE Inspector Helen Turner said: “Nerys Lloyd was solely responsible for the decision to enter the water while the river was in flood, and for the attempt to take even inexperienced paddlers over the weir. This was completely reckless and the risk of death was foreseeable.
“The victims placed their trust in Lloyd to deliver a safe and enjoyable paddle, but through her incompetence, carelessness and complacency she failed to plan or assess the obvious risk at the weir or to take even basic safety measures. By not discussing the hazards on the route Lloyd robbed the participants of the opportunity to make a reasoned decision on their own participation on the day.”
Lloyd admitted all four charges of gross negligence manslaughter and one count under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The “overall gravity” of the four manslaughter offences was a deciding factor in the sentence of 10 years and six months, said the judge who added Lloyd showed “flagrant disregard” of her duty to take care of the participants.
