‘MUMMY’S SO SORRY’
Parents’ heartbreak after two-year-old daughter’s death in tragic river accident
THE GRIEF-STRICKEN parents of a two-year-old girl have revealed how she was killed in a horrific accident on the River Teifi in west Wales.
Kiara Moore, who would have celebrated her third birthday next week, was pronounced dead at the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff late on Monday night.
She had been pulled from a silver Mini that was in the River Teifi, near the centre of Cardigan, on Monday afternoon, but died hours later.
Her mother, Kim Rowlands, 25, wrote a public apology to her in a Facebook post, since deleted. She wrote: “Sadly yesterday my beautiful baby girl passed away! Due to my own stupidity, I will have to live with the guilt for the rest of my life! Mummy loves you baby girl and I’m so sorry.”
Earlier the girl’s father Jet Moore revealed how tragedy unfolded in the
Ceredigion town on Monday when a car carrying Kiara rolled into the River Teifi, moments after the girl’s mother had left the vehicle.
Mum and daughter were about to head home to Llandysul when tragedy struck.
In a Facebook post which was later deleted, Mr Moore, who runs the Cardigan Bay Active outdoor activity centre in Cardigan, near to where Kiara was found, wrote: “They got in the car to go home. Sat on bank card which snapped and needed money to get home. Went back to the office to get money from the desk and came back to no car.”
He said they had looked in the river, but seen no sign of the car and thought it had been stolen.
It is thought the River Teifi’s strong current took the vehicle downstream, around a corner and out of sight.
“[We] looked in the river. No signs. So we thought she and the car had been taken.
“The police found the car a while later and went way beyond the call of duty jumping in and pulling her out. They tried to revive her for hours but unfortunately could not. Everyone done [sic] their best.”
The car had been initially reported stolen with the girl inside after disappearing from near the old Scout Hall in Cardigan around 3.30pm on Monday.
But the vehicle was later located in the River Teifi, close to where the vehicle was parked, just yards away from a slipway which led into the river.
Yesterday afternoon Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed they were not seeking anyone in relation to the death after specialist teams removed the car from the river in the early hours of the morning for examination.
A spokesman said: “Police have made extensive enquiries into the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and can now confirm that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.
“The vehicle was recovered from the river early this morning.
“HM Coroner has been advised. Kiara’s family are being supported by specially trained officers.”
Friends and family have since rallied around the family to exonerate them of any blame.
One wrote on Facebook: “You are both fantastic parents and all your family and friends know that.”
Another added: “It was a tragic accident, it could have happened to anyone, please don’t blame yourself.”
The grieving father said his daughter’s nickname was RAR RAR, a name she had penned herself and demanded to be called.
Mr Moore later added: “She was an incredible happy young girl who lived I hope a great adventurous fun life, and may have done more than most people. Been skiing twice and skied herself. Paddled the great glen Scotland. Paddled the Wye. Played on every beach we could. Had a Loving family and made us all happy. “Love her so much.” Noel Lewis, who runs a car repair business next to the slipway from which Kiara went missing, told BBC Wales: “Kiara was the most wonderful little girl. She was always playing out here with her little dog. Her parents run an outdoor adventure business the other side of the slipway.
“I’d often see them taking Kiara out on the river in a canoe. She always had a life jacket on when she was in the canoe with them.
“They’re a lovely family, always smiling and having fun together.”
Grace Hills took her son Parker to the banks of the River Teifi yesterday morning to lay flowers and a card in memory of Kiara.
The two-year-old attended Drefach Felindre’s Ty a Fi mother and baby playgroup with her friend Parker. In the card he left, the little boy wrote: “My friend Kiara, I leave this card for you. We sat together when I painted it. I will miss you, love Parker.”
Mrs Hills said: “Parker sat with Kiara and we did Mother’s Day crafts and painted a few things. He is too young to know any different, it is just a little gesture to let the family know that we are thinking of them.”
Mrs Hills said she did not know exactly what happened “but I just feel very sad for the little girl and for the family”.
She added: “You think of yourself going through something like it and you could never imagine the pain and you don’t ever think anything like this would happen to you or anyone close to you, so it is just really sad.”
Her husband, who did not want to be named, said his wife “just wanted to pay her respects”.
“The little card that my son has just taken down there is something that he painted with the little girl in question,” he said.
Mrs Hills added: “She is going to be missed. She was a lovely little smiley girl, always happy.”
Another note added: “Sending love from all at Cylch Ti a Fi, Drefach Felindre. We will miss you Kiara.”
Mrs Hills said: “I can’t imagine the pain. You don’t ever think something like this is going to happen to anyone close to you. We just feel sad for the little girl and her family.”
Geoff Jenkins, 66, a self-employed builder, said the incident was “shocking and very sad”.
He said at around 4.30pm he noticed “all of a sudden there was police cars everywhere” and that there were half a dozen or more police vehicles.
Mr Jenkins said he spoke to a police officer because his house was inside the cordon set up by officers which closed the Strand and his wife Olivia was due home from work.
“He wouldn’t say really (what was happening),” said Mr Jenkins.
“He did say if he saw her coming home he would have let her through to here. My wife has gone to work but she let me know this morning that the child was pronounced dead.”
He added: “After the helicopter took off there was some sign of hope. It’s just shocking and very sad.”
Elin Jones, the Assembly Member for Ceredigion, posted on Twitter: “Awful news in Cardigan.
“A young, innocent life taken so tragically.
“Thank you to those who tried to save her, and our thoughts are with all who loved her. Colled ifanc sy’n tristau cymuned. R.I.P Kiara Moore.”
Ann Clwyd, MP for the Cynon Valley, tweeted: “This is such a sad, tragic series of events, resulting in the death of one so young. My sympathy for the friends and family of Kiara Moore.”
Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion, wrote on Twitter: “My deepest condolences to Kiara Moore’s family and friends at an unimaginably difficult time.
“Thank you to the emergency services staff for their brave efforts yesterday. Such a tragic loss.”
Dyfed-Powys Police had confirmed the tragic news in the early hours of Monday morning.
“Sadly, we confirm that Kiara Moore, aged two, was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff last night, having been recovered from a car in the River Teifi, Cardigan yesterday afternoon,” a force spokeswoman said.
“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the silver Mini enter the river between 3:30pm and 4:50pm on Monday afternoon.”
They added that Kiara’s family were being supported by specially trained officers.
Deputy Chief Constable of DyfedPowys Police Darren Davies said police officers showed “incredible bravery and selflessness” by entering the water to try to save Kiara Moore.
The little girl was pulled from the vehicle alive and airlifted to University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff by the Wales Air Ambulance.
Tragically she was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of Wales.
Kiara’s dad Jet Moore also paid tribute to those who tried to save her.
He said: “A mega thank you the officers who jumped in the river and the rest of the emergency services for all they did.”
“Unfortunately Kiara had an amazing but short life.”