Paddleboarding victim named as three die and one fights for life after river incident
A man and two women have died and another woman is fighting for her life after a group of paddleboarders got into difficulties on a river in Wales, police have confirmed.
Emergency services first received reports of people in distress in the River Cleddau in Haverfordwest shortly after 9am on Saturday. A huge search and rescue operation was launched, with dozens of firefighters, police officers, medics and other experts sent to the scene.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated, but it is believed that the group got into difficulty in the water,” Dyfed-Powys Police said in a statement on Sunday. “Two women and a man died at the scene, and a woman remains in a critical condition in hospital. A further five people were rescued without injury.”
Officers have said the exact circumstances of what happened are not yet known. Pics: Martin Cavaney
Paul O’Dwyer, from Salty Dog Co, a surf-style clothing and paddleboarding company based in Port Talbot, has been named as one of the three who died. The company tweeted a message saying “goodbye to our salty dog Paul” on Saturday evening.
Severe rain had meant the river was flooded and had become turbulent when the group got into difficulties. A member of the public is believed to have entered the water to attempt a rescue, but later got out safely.
Thirty firefighters from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, including specialist wading crews and swift water rescue technicians, were among those involved in the rescue, police said. Two fire boats were launched to assist with bank and river searches, with crews working closely with Coastguard teams.
The National Police Air Service, Coastguard and Wales Air Ambulance also provided helicopter support, while the Angle RNLI lifeboat was also deployed.
More than 20 police officers also attended the scene, which was cordoned off until about 5pm, the force said, along with paramedics.
The paddleboarders are said to have been a part of the South Wales Paddle Boarders. They were from different areas across South Wales and were on an annual tour, spending the weekend together to explore the river.
Police said the injured woman is being treated at Withybush Hospital. No further details about her condition have been released.
One of the members said she had pulled out of the paddle on the morning of the incident as she was concerned about the conditions, according to PA.
Vickie Mckinven, from Milford Haven, told the news agency they were all good friends who “did so much to raise money for charities” and that the deaths were “absolutely heartbreaking”.
Dyfed-Powys Police have not yet released the names of those who have died but said their next of kin are being supported by specialist officers.
Emergency services pictured at the river. Pic: Martin Cavaney
Detective Chief Inspector Jonathan Rees said a full investigation was already under way but at this stage his thoughts were “focused on the loved ones of those who had died and the injured paddleboarder who remains in hospital”.
Sky News correspondent Helen-Ann Smith, who has been at the scene over the weekend, said the River Cleddau was still flowing “incredibly quickly” on Sunday morning.
“They had very heavy rain here on Friday and some real sudden downpours on Saturday morning, I understand, and potentially at about the sort of time that the paddleboards were getting into the river.
“The police say that they have accounted for everybody, the search has now been called off, and that they’re supporting the members of the family and next of kin of those who have very sadly died.”
An international manhunt is under way for the husband of a murdered woman, whose body was found in the boot of a car.
The body of Harshita Brella was found in east London on Thursday, tens of miles away from her home in Corby.
On Sunday, Northamptonshire Police said they were looking for Pankaj Lamba – who they believe has left the country.
Sky News understands she had been under the protection of a court order designed for victims of domestic abuse.
“Our inquiries lead us to suspect that Harshita was murdered in Northamptonshire earlier this month by her husband Pankaj Lamba,” said chief inspector Paul Cash.
“We suspect Lamba transported Harshita’s body from Northamptonshire to Ilford by car.”
“Fast track” enquires were made after the force was contacted on Wednesday by someone concerned about Ms Brella’s welfare. After she failed to answer the door at her home in Skegness Walk, Corby, a missing person investigation was launched.
Her body was found inside the boot of a vehicle in Brisbane Road in the Ilford in the early hours of Thursday morning.
A post mortem – conducted at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday – established she had been murdered.
Harshita Brella, 24, from Corby. Her body was found in a car in east London. Pic: Northamptonshire Police
More than 60 detectives are working on the case, with lines of enquiry including going house to house and property searches, as well as looking at CCTV and ANPR.
“We are of course continuing to appeal for any information that will help us piece together exactly what happened as we work to get justice for Harshita,” said chief inspector Cash.
“I urge anyone listening to or reading this statement, that if you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.”
Pankaj Lamba. Pic: Northamptonshire Police
Force referred to police watchdog
On Saturday, Northamptonshire Police said it had made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to previous contact between the force and the victim.
Northamptonshire Police previously said officers had been conducting investigations at three locations: Skegness Walk and Sturton Walk in Corby and Brisbane Road, Ilford, where Ms Brella’s body was found.
East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU) and Northamptonshire Police said they were working “around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place”.
State-of-the-art technology has been used to create a voice for King Richard III – giving him a Yorkshire accent.
A digital avatar of the medieval king’s head went on display in front of excited history fans at York Theatre Royal.
Richard III was king of England from 1483 until his death at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, at the age of 32.
His remains were found in a car park in Leicester in 2012 by historian Philippa Langley.
Speaking about the recreation, she said: “We’ve got leading experts in their fields who have been working on this for 10 years and so everything has been meticulously researched, meticulously evidenced, so you are seeing the most accurate portrayal of Richard III”.
A team based at Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University created the avatar based on the reconstruction of Richard III’s head with the help of a craniofacial expert.
His voice has been created by Professor David Crystal, a leading linguist in 15th-century pronunciation. He admitted that it’s impossible to know exactly how he spoke, but this is as close as they will get.
The king was born in Northampton but spent a lot of his life in Yorkshire. His parents were also from the north of England.
Vocal coach Yvonne Morley-Chisholm spent a decade researching how the monarch would have sounded. She worked with the actor Thomas Dennis who was chosen as his body and face were such a a good physical match.
Speaking to Sky News, she said people will be shocked at how different he sounded compared with traditional portrayals of the king on stage and screen.
The coach and actor also examined the king’s letters and diary so that “as you pronounced a word that’s how you would write it”.
Read more from Sky News:
Frozen sabre-toothed kitten studied for first time
King to open two food distribution hubs to mark birthday
The voice shows the change in pronunciation over the centuries – from regional variations to the Queen’s English.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
History fans at the unveiling were delighted with the accent, with one telling Sky News: “Northerners are known to be happy, positive, all those lovely qualities.”
Born in Northampton but a northerner through and through, technology has brought the king’s speech back to life
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