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Fourth paddleboarder dies in drowning tragedy as woman arrested for manslaughter

A woman who was fighting for her life after a paddleboarding incident in Wales has died, taking the death toll to four.
The three drowned after the river reportedly became swollen with heavy rain (Picture: Athena Pictures/PA)

A woman who was fighting for her life after a paddleboarding incident in Wales has died, taking the death toll to four.

The incident last Saturday saw a group of paddleboarders get into difficulty on the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest.

Andrea Powers, 41, from Bridgend, was taken to hospital afterwards but has since died of her injuries.

Morgan Rogers, 24, from Cefin Coed, Merthyr Tydfil, Nicola Wheatley, 40, from Pontardulais, Swansea, and Paul O’Dwyer, 42, from Sandfields, Port Talbot also died.

A woman has now been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, police confirmed.

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.’

COPY BY TOM BEDFORD Pictured: Emergency services at river Cleddau in Haverfordwest, Wales, UK. Saturday 30 October 2021 Re: A search is taking place following reports of people in distress in river Cleddau in Haverfordwest, west Wales, UK. Quay Street in the Pemborkeshire city has been cordoned off as police, firefighters, Coastguard and ambulance crews have been called to the scene. Dyfed-Powys Police has asked people to avoid the area. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews were in attendance at the River Cleddau.
Emergency services at river Cleddau in Haverfordwest, last Saturday (Picture: Athena Pictures)
Flowers left by the river Cleddau in Haverfordwest where three people died and one is in a critical condition in hospital after a group of paddleboarders got into distress on the river in Wales on Saturday. Picture date: Sunday October 31, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Haverfordwest. Photo credit should read: Bronwen Weatherby/PA Wire
Flowers left by the river Cleddau in Haverfordwest where four people died (Picture: PA)

The force 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.’

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

The tragedy happened when a group of nine boarders were reportedly swept away when the river became swollen by heavy rain.

Undated Dyfed-Powys Police handout photo of Morgan Rogers, who died after a paddleboarding accident in Cleddau river in Haverfordwest on Saturday. Issue date: Tuesday November 2, 2021. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Haverfordwest . Photo credit should read: Family handout/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
Morgan Rogers, 24, was ‘the best that she could be’ (Picture: PA)

The survivors have paid tribute to those who died and praised their bravery.

One of those on the trip, Vickie Mckinven from Milford Haven, 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.

COPY BY TOM BEDFORD Pictured: The paddleboards recovered by emergency services from river Cleddau in Haverfordwest, Wales, UK. Saturday 30 October 2021 Re: A search is taking place following reports of people in distress in river Cleddau in Haverfordwest, west Wales, UK. Quay Street in the Pemborkeshire city has been cordoned off as police, firefighters, Coastguard and ambulance crews have been called to the scene. Dyfed-Powys Police has asked people to avoid the area. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews were in attendance at the River Cleddau.
Paddleboards were recovered by the emergency services from the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest (Picture: Athena Pictures)

The family of Ms Rogers, a deputy store manager at a supermarket, described their lost loved one as ‘a beautiful, kind and loving soul’.

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

MORE : Three paddleboarders who drowned in river pictured as tributes paid

MORE : Three paddleboarders dead as another fights for her life in drowning tragedy

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