Two years after the paddleboarding tragedy on the River Cleddau at Haverfordwest which claimed four lives, police have said that they are continuing to investigate the incident.
On the morning of October 30, 2021, a group of paddleboarders on a guided outing got into difficulty at Haverfordwest Wier following heavy rain.
Paul O'Dwyer, 42, from Sandfields, Port Talbot, Morgan Rogers, 24, of Cefin Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, and Nicola Wheatley, 40, from Pontardulais, Swansea were all pronounced dead at the scene.
A fourth person, Andrea Powell, 41, from Bridgend, was rescued from the water and taken to Withybush Hospital with what were described as critical injuries. She did not survive her injuries and died on November 5 2021.
A further five people had to be pulled from the water by emergency services.
During the incident, a huge multi agency rescue operation was launched. It included crews from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Wales Ambulance Service Trust, Dyfed-Powys Police, the coast guard and the RNLI.
In an extraordinary act of bravery, local lad Joel Williams entered the water and dragged a person out onto the banks of the Cleddau where he administered CPR until the emergency services came.
An official report into the tragedy, published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) in December last year, revealed serious shortcomings in planning and preparation, training, safety measures and signage.
Andrew Moll, OBE, chief inspector of marine accidents called the incident ‘a tragic and avoidable accident’.
Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed at the time of the tragedy that a woman from South Wales was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. She was then released under police investigation.
Two years after the tragedy the force has confirmed that its investigations continue and information has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service.
“The investigation remains ongoing and a file of evidence has been passed to the CPS for their consideration,” said a Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson. “The families are being kept informed.”
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