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MAIB publish report into 'tragic and avoidable' Haverfordwest paddleboard deaths


booke23

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13 hours ago, magnetman said:

It could be a Darwin thing. Surely people can see that going out on a paddle board on anything other than a calm and quiet waterway in nice weather is a risky activity. You are standing up. I know one can sit down but generally its a standing up thing. Clue is in the name. If you come off it you are in the water. You don't want to be in the water at the best of times but certainly not in October.

Didn't seem to worry these two I snapped on Christmas Eve a couple of years ago (although there are no weirs nearby).

 

 

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Just for balance… we’ve now got a total of 5 paddle boards on our boat which we use on the Thames every summer. They’re all inflatable but once inflated very similar to rigid (as has been mentioned). I always just call them SUPs. 
We also have kayaks, but we all much prefer being out on SUPs now - nothing about looking cool, there’s just something nice about standing up. It’s a bit like going for a long walk but on the river, using different muscles, and using a bit of skill (its actually very easy). I never really saw the attraction until I tried it. 

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The tidal waters where we keep our sailing boat have seen a huge influx of stand up paddle boarders and kayakers over the last 5 years. 


My observations of the paddleboarders is that they usually start off standing up, and return some time later kneeling down. Their whole twisting action to propel the board does not look as natural as the kayakers, and may become even more difficult from a kneeling position unless a shortened paddle is used (assumed) . Many of them underestimate the tidal conditions, and fail to return before the tide turns, so have a hard time against the tide. Some of them do not seem to take into account any wind over tide situation, or any offshore wind. What can start off a breezeless day can change on warm days when an onshore breeze can quickly build up.
Few of the paddle boarders wear wetsuits or buoyancy aids. Some of the kayakers do, but not all.


The last call out to the RNLI for paddle boarders in September who were reportedly being swept out to sea, thankfully concluded with them getting back to shore under their own steam.


The last paddle boarder I saw there was a woman who had crossed the Irish sea from NI to Scotland. Her board looked totally different (to my untrained eye) than the usual ones, having a kayak type front end with a stand on bit further back, as opposed to the normal flatter types.
I don't know if this was a custom board for tidal conditions, or was meant just to improve speed, but looked much more suited for the sea than the other type.

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1 hour ago, gatekrash said:

Have to be honest, as a coastguard these things are the bane of our lives now, along with the latest fashion for "wild swimming" in a force 9 gale in December. Every man and his dog has gone to Lidl / Aldi / other budget supermarket and bought the latest "beaching" accessory, a SUP. We have had so many callouts to people who have gone off the beach because the weather looked nice, but with a moderate offshore wind and ended up blowing straight out or up the coast and been unable to get back to shore. Some have ended up being bashed on rocks, others a couple of miles away from where they started off. For some reason the majority of them don't appear to be wearing any form of personal buoyancy when they're on them. When we've asked why it's because they think having a big floating board means they don't need it. Except they also don't bother with any form of board tether either, and the inflatable ones don't work so well when they've been rubbing up against a sharp rock for an hour...

 

We've spent years pushing the old H&S adverts about not allowing children on lilos and inflatable dinghies on beaches unless they were tethered to a responsible adult because they'd end up blowing away, and now someone has actually invented something that seems to be perfectly designed to do the same thing. I hadn't been called to a blown away inflatable for years until the SUP craze started, now it's all the time.

 

Keep the things for calm rivers and canals (as long as theyve paid a licence :) ).

Agreed. One of our daughters and grandaughters have them, they also have a CRT licence and one for the Bristol Avon. They wear bouyancy aids, quick release belts and neoprene leggings. Must be a nightmare for the RNLI these days at sea though.

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There is a news article on the BBC website which is as follows

Coroner to write to Tesco after Conwy paddleboard death

  • Published
    18 hours ago
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Emma Louise PowellIMAGE SOURCE,FAMILY PHOTO Image caption,

Emma Louise Powell died in a paddleboard accident hours after buying the board from Tesco

A coroner plans to write to the UK government and Tesco to raise concerns over the safety of paddleboards.

Emma Powell, 24, from Llandudno, died in July while out in the River Conwy estuary on a paddleboard sold by Tesco.

Senior coroner John Gittins delivered a verdict of accidental death at the inquest into her death in Ruthin.

Mr Gittins said he had concerns over advice on the use of leashes, and whether safety advice should be given by retailers selling paddleboards.

He will raise these concerns in a prevention of future deaths report issued to both the UK government and Tesco.

Emma Powell died on 14 July, just hours after she and a cousin, Amber Powell, had purchased a paddleboard each from a Tesco store near Llandudno, Conwy county.

Courtney Powell, Amber Powell's sister - who was also present on the evening - told the inquest she noticed the sea was "a bit rough", but Emma said she wanted to stay at that spot because she had "already blown up" her board.

'I can't see her'

The inquest heard that neither of them were wearing life jackets, and while the water was choppy the weather was not bad.

Courtney Powell told the hearing that, within minutes, the two women were being pulled by the tide and "all of a sudden Emma crashed into the side of the jetty".

She said she heard her sister calling: "Help, Emma's in the water. She's stuck. I can't see her."

David Jones, of Conwy RNLI, said the water speed at the time had been about five knots, and it would have been "a challenge for anyone to swim against that".

 

flowers on a railing near Morfa beach Image caption,

A floral tribute on the jetty where emergency services launched a rescue effort

He also said that, in his view, paddleboards should not be sold "without some sort of buoyancy aid".

The inquest heard concerns over the use of ankle leashes, which are often attached to paddleboards, and the advice given on the use of life jackets.

Mr Gittins said he was not singling out Tesco, but would write to them as the provider of Emma Powell's paddleboard.

He added that he had been contacted by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) on Wednesday and was given advance sight of the report they issued into the deaths of four paddleboarders in Haverfordwest.

After reading the MAIB report, he noticed there were some similarities between the separate cases.

 

Nicola Wheatley, Paul O'Dwyer, Morgan Rogers (female) and Andrea PowellIMAGE SOURCE,FAMILY PHOTOS Image caption,

Nicola Wheatley, Morgan Rogers, Paul O'Dwyer and Andrea Powell died in a separate paddleboarding tragedy in Haverfordwest in October 2021

Mr Gittins said it was "absolutely coincidental" that the MAIB report had been issued on the same day as Emma Powell's inquest.

But, after reading the MAIB's report, he said he had "dual concerns", firstly about educating people on the use of leashes attached to paddleboards, and whether safety advice and equipment should be provided by retailers.

He said coroners "don't have the teeth to enforce change", but both Tesco and the UK government would have 56 days to respond to his report.

"I know I would not be comfortable unless I raised my concern with someone," he told the inquest.

Tesco has been asked to comment on the coroner's statement.

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2 hours ago, gatekrash said:

We've spent years pushing the old H&S adverts about not allowing children on lilos and inflatable dinghies on beaches unless they were tethered to a responsible adult because they'd end up blowing away, and now someone has actually invented something that seems to be perfectly designed to do the same thing. I hadn't been called to a blown away inflatable for years until the SUP craze started, now it's all the time.

 

It's funny how fashions always come around again, even those with tragic consequences. Like the saying goes "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it"

 

I was watching Saving lives at sea a few weeks ago and the RNLI were called out to Ramsey Island off St Davids by a commercial boat who happened to notice a large group of SUP's who had paddled out to Ramsey island. There were 16 people on SUP's and some even had young children on the boards with them.....the mind boggles. They were all totally oblivious to the danger that when the tide turned they would all be washed out to open sea. Needless to say they were all picked up and taken ashore by the lifeboat. 

 

 

Edited by booke23
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9 minutes ago, Tonka said:

There is a news article on the BBC website which is as follows

Coroner to write to Tesco after Conwy paddleboard death

  • Published
    18 hours ago
Share
 

Emma Louise PowellIMAGE SOURCE,FAMILY PHOTO Image caption,

Emma Louise Powell died in a paddleboard accident hours after buying the board from Tesco

A coroner plans to write to the UK government and Tesco to raise concerns over the safety of paddleboards.

Emma Powell, 24, from Llandudno, died in July while out in the River Conwy estuary on a paddleboard sold by Tesco.

Senior coroner John Gittins delivered a verdict of accidental death at the inquest into her death in Ruthin.

Mr Gittins said he had concerns over advice on the use of leashes, and whether safety advice should be given by retailers selling paddleboards.

He will raise these concerns in a prevention of future deaths report issued to both the UK government and Tesco.

Emma Powell died on 14 July, just hours after she and a cousin, Amber Powell, had purchased a paddleboard each from a Tesco store near Llandudno, Conwy county.

Courtney Powell, Amber Powell's sister - who was also present on the evening - told the inquest she noticed the sea was "a bit rough", but Emma said she wanted to stay at that spot because she had "already blown up" her board.

'I can't see her'

The inquest heard that neither of them were wearing life jackets, and while the water was choppy the weather was not bad.

Courtney Powell told the hearing that, within minutes, the two women were being pulled by the tide and "all of a sudden Emma crashed into the side of the jetty".

She said she heard her sister calling: "Help, Emma's in the water. She's stuck. I can't see her."

David Jones, of Conwy RNLI, said the water speed at the time had been about five knots, and it would have been "a challenge for anyone to swim against that".

 

flowers on a railing near Morfa beach Image caption,

A floral tribute on the jetty where emergency services launched a rescue effort

He also said that, in his view, paddleboards should not be sold "without some sort of buoyancy aid".

The inquest heard concerns over the use of ankle leashes, which are often attached to paddleboards, and the advice given on the use of life jackets.

Mr Gittins said he was not singling out Tesco, but would write to them as the provider of Emma Powell's paddleboard.

He added that he had been contacted by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) on Wednesday and was given advance sight of the report they issued into the deaths of four paddleboarders in Haverfordwest.

After reading the MAIB report, he noticed there were some similarities between the separate cases.

 

Nicola Wheatley, Paul O'Dwyer, Morgan Rogers (female) and Andrea PowellIMAGE SOURCE,FAMILY PHOTOS Image caption,

Nicola Wheatley, Morgan Rogers, Paul O'Dwyer and Andrea Powell died in a separate paddleboarding tragedy in Haverfordwest in October 2021

Mr Gittins said it was "absolutely coincidental" that the MAIB report had been issued on the same day as Emma Powell's inquest.

But, after reading the MAIB's report, he said he had "dual concerns", firstly about educating people on the use of leashes attached to paddleboards, and whether safety advice and equipment should be provided by retailers.

He said coroners "don't have the teeth to enforce change", but both Tesco and the UK government would have 56 days to respond to his report.

"I know I would not be comfortable unless I raised my concern with someone," he told the inquest.

Tesco has been asked to comment on the coroner's statement.

Saying that paddle boards should not be sold without some sort of bouyancy aid is never qoing to happen. Its a bit like forcing a motorcycle helmet to be purchased on every sale of a motorcycle, people mostly already have a helmet, they wouldnt want another. A very good idea to sell such as a buoyancy aid alongside boards but compulsory with each sale, naah.

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On 09/12/2022 at 12:38, mrsmelly said:

Saying that paddle boards should not be sold without some sort of bouyancy aid is never qoing to happen. Its a bit like forcing a motorcycle helmet to be purchased on every sale of a motorcycle, people mostly already have a helmet, they wouldnt want another. A very good idea to sell such as a buoyancy aid alongside boards but compulsory with each sale, naah.

The coroner is probably fully aware that any recommendation he makes will mostly likely be ignored, or at best be watered down if it is acted upon.

So if he recommends paddle boards be sold with a buoyancy aid, it might mean that at least the safety warnings are more prominent on the boards and their packaging, and that pictures of people paddle boarding used for marketing have them wearing a buoyancy aid (especially if they are on flat calm water on a beautiful day)

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On 08/12/2022 at 19:53, Tonka said:

Yes they do it on the rapids at Mile End Mill upstream of Llangollen. You can shoot weirs in a canoe and kayak. It depends on the design of the weir. If they closed in sides then you get a stopper produced in high flow which will drag you back in. There is a well known one at Dorking on the River Mole. Best to get out and inspect the weir first before proceeding. 

Yes they do.  I have often watched them in canoes/kayaks and open inflatables when I have been in the  Signalbox at Goods Junction. They do the same by the Corn Mill and the bridge in Llangollen opposite the Llangollen Station SIgnalbox.  It looks like they are having fun but it's not for me I prefer to go sailing.

 

They do similar on the Tryweryn near Frongoch/ Y Bala.

 

Various Fire brigade teams come to Mile End Mill for training in fast water and it is interesting how much more equipment they use and wear to keep themselves safe/safer.

Edited by churchward
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