Near-miss as girl, six, avoids Valley rockfall
A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl narrowly avoided a rockfall at a popular Welsh beauty spot.
Hallie Powell was enjoying a day out with her family when a loud crack made her move suddenly – seconds before large rocks fell on to the spot where she had been standing.
The family of four were visiting Clydach Lakes in the Rhondda, and were near the waterfalls at the top lake when the incident happened on Sunday afternoon.
“It is the first time we have been up there in about 10 years, we just could not believe how the turn of events got us there,” explained dad Tristan Luke Powell.
Tristan, 37, and his partner Sophie Wilson, 39, along with Hallie and their younger daughter Lillie, three, decided to get out of the house on Sunday afternoon despite the wet weather.
“We were playing a game with Hallie, she was telling us to turn left or right when we were in the car and we were just going to see where it took us,” he said.
They ended up on their way to Tonypandy from their home in Porth, and Tristan decided he would take them to Clydach Lakes for a run around in their wellies.
“We parked up and I had just forgotten how beautiful it was up there. We walked on the right-hand side of the lake and walked around for about 40 minutes before we decided to go up to the waterfalls, and there is a pond there that is like a fairy pond.
“It only took about two minutes to get up there from the main lake. We were walking along the embankment and decided to cross over to the other side, it was a bit muddy but the girls had their wellies on – Sophie decided to stay on the one side because she didn’t.
“And to the side there are large trees about 15-20ft high so we didn’t see the cliff. I was talking to Lillie and Hallie was more in the corner, where the rocks fell.
“We must have been over there about 30 seconds and we heard a large crack and I turned around and instinct must have kicked in for Hallie because she just moved, I wouldn’t even say ran, towards me, she was as quick as like a cat would be.
“And the rocks smashed to the floor right where she was standing.”
Tristan said he and his two daughters must have been less than 4ft away from where the rocks fell, and debris from the fall along with smaller stones hit Hallie in the back of her head, as well as in his and Lillie’s faces.
“I was just so glad everyone was okay but in my head I was like, ‘I can’t believe we survived that,’” Tristan explained.
Hallie’s mum Sophie said the little girl started sprinting towards her and was really shaken up by the incident, describing her as “white as a sheet”.
Tristan said the rocks were about half the size of a small car and warned others about the danger of the area.
“We are just glad it missed us and now it won’t hurt any other families as people know the danger now,” he explained.
Sophie added that they are using this as a comfort for Hallie. Hoping to avoid her having nightmares about the incident, they told her that she is a “hero” for surviving and now no-one else will get hurt because of her.
Tristan said he has been informed that the council is inspecting the site today and that people have been advised to avoid the area.
Rhondda Cynon Taf council has been contacted.