Woman held following fourth river death

A WOMAN has been arrested following news that a fourth person has died after a paddleboarding incident a week ago.

Nine people were involved in the incident on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest which saw a major rescue operation by emergency services last weekend.

The woman, who is from South Wales, was arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter and was released under investigation.

While five people were pulled from the water without injury, four people died in the tragedy, with Andrea Powell, 41, from Bridgend, named as the latest victim.

The others were Morgan Rogers, 24, from Merthyr Tydfil, Nicola Wheatley, 40, from Pontarddulais, Swansea, and Paul O’Dwyer, 42, from Sandfields, Port Talbot.

The nine paddleboarders were members of a local paddleboarding group and had been spending the weekend exploring the river.

Mr O’Dwyer, a former soldier and a father of three, was said to have risked his life to save two of his fellow paddleboarders who had got into difficulty.

Dyfed-Powys Police said: “Following the incident on the Cleddau River in Haverfordwest on Saturday, Oct 30, Dyfed-Powys Police can confirm a woman from the South Wales area has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.

“She has been released under investigation.”

Confirming that Ms Powell was the latest victim, the force added: “Our thoughts are with her family and all those involved in this tragic incident.”

The South Wales Paddleboarding Club said the incident was a “stark reminder” of how treacherous rivers can be in certain weather conditions. “No matter how experienced, we must always take extra care and consider our own safety before going in the water this winter,” the club added.

A local paddleboarder said: “The paddlers were in a dangerous part of the river with very high water levels and water flow.

“They got caught at the town walls and weir.”