Coroner to write to Tesco after Conwy paddleboard death

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.

• Paddleboarder trapped under water, inquest hears

• Family tributes to woman who died paddleboarding

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".

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, 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.

A Tesco Spokesman said: "We are deeply sorry to hear about this tragic incident, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by it."