‘Beautiful’ mum dies a week after paddleboard tragedy as woman arrested

Andrea Powell (centre) has been named as the fourth victim of a paddleboarding tragedy (PA)

Tributes have poured in for the fourth victim of a paddleboarding tragedy.

Andrea Powell, 41, was described as a ‘beautiful’ mum following her death in hospital on Friday.

She was pulled from the water in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on October 30, after a group of nine people from the South Wales Paddle Boarders and Salty Dog Co got into trouble.

Three other people died, including Morgan Rogers, 24, from Cefn Coed near Merthyr Tydfil; Nicola Wheatley, 40, from Swansea; and Paul O’Dwyer, 42, from Port Talbot.

A further five people were pulled out of the river River Cleddau in Haverfordwest by emergency services but had no injuries.

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter after the incident. 

The suspect, who police said comes from South Wales, has been released under investigation.

Alison Wood, a friend of Ms Powell, wrote on Facebook: ‘Such sad news that our beautiful friend and colleague Andrea Powell gained her wings yesterday. 

‘We had the pleasure of working together and experiencing the joys and girls issues of pregnancy (mainly big pants and cankles) with lots of laughter and joy with our beautiful babies. 

‘You are a beautiful soul and amazing mummy. Fly high, beautiful lady.’ 

Andrea Powell, 41, was described as a ‘beautiful’ mum following her death in hospital on Friday (Facebook)

Morgan Rogers, 24, also died in the tragedy (Picture: PA)

Another friend Sarah Quarrington added: ‘I cannot put into words how sad and shocked I am by you leaving the party early Andrea.

‘Most unlike you! You were a guide to us all on how to live life to the full, so full of energy and mischief. Just know that I loved you.’

Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police said: ‘Following the incident on Cleddau River, Haverfordwest on Saturday 30/10 a woman from the South Wales area has been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter as part of the investigation.

‘She has been released under investigation.’

They added: ‘Sadly we can also confirm that 41-year-old Andrea Powell from the Bridgend area, who was in hospital following the incident, has now died.

‘Our thoughts are with her family, and all those involved in this tragic incident.’

Nicola Wheatley was a ‘loving mother, daughter, daughter-in-law and wife’ (Picture: PA)

Paul O’Dwyer is said to have given up his life to save others (PA)

Vickie Mckinven, who was on the trip, said Mr O’Dwyer, a former soldier and father-of-three, died attempting to rescue two fellow paddleboarders who had got into difficulty near the weir.

Hundreds of people gathered in Port Talbot on Saturday morning in memory of Mr O’Dwyer.

During the event, surfers from Aberavon surf club, many of whom were his close friends, took to the water.

Mr O’Dwyer’s best friend of 22 years Lee West paid tribute to him, telling Wales Online: ‘He was great fun. He’d be like your corny uncle in the corner, with his corny jokes.

‘He was just a genuine lovely, lovely man’.

The family of Ms Rogers, a deputy store manager at a supermarket, called her ‘a beautiful, kind and loving soul’.

Ms Wheatley, who worked as a specialist in poisons information with the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS), was described by her family as ‘loving mother, daughter, daughter-in-law and wife’.

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