Paddleboarding tragedy (why did she do this?)

I wonder what made them trust her? There are some terrible people hiding in plain sight. I realise this more and more as I get older.

I guess if you don't know about weir dangers, then you don't know that they can be dangerous.

I wonder how many people look at a weir and think it would be just fine to go over and what's the worst that can happen?

I live in Cornwall and know that you need to be careful near the sea. Every year there are tragedies when people dobt know the tides. Always swim near a life guarded beach and respect the notices. So sad for tge families who have lost loved ones

There’s a really good video of a water tank by a fireman about how a weir works when it’s faster water, horrible watching his little Lego people.

Yes I don't understand the weir bit. Paddle boarding is generally just standing about on a board, why go down a weir with that narrow fish lane bit?

Did they know they were going to be negotiating a weir? Even without any weather issues the logistics of getting down that would surely have been challenging even for experienced paddle boarders.

People tried to stop her, warned her not to go, some people dropped out after hearing that but she kept going telling them it was fine.

I don’t understand the AIBU and what I’m voting for?

It was a horrific and negligent accident. What is U about it?

The water can be very deceptive.
Take a look at what is called the strid. North Yorkshire.

I lived in Haverfordwest for several years and nobody in their right mind would try and paddleboard or kayak over that weir if they knew the area. She did the trial run on a day when the tide was high and the river level was low so the weir was barely visible. She just assumed that because it was safe and easy to cross it that day, it would be safe any day. She didn’t even bother to check it before setting off on the trip despite there being a flood warning in place for the Western Cleddau.

If she’d bothered to do even basic research like contacting the local canoeing club she’d have been given very clear advice not to attempt paddling over the weir - there are steps just before you get to the weir where they could have gone ashore and simply carried the boards around the weir before relaunching.

I feel so sad for the families of those who died because this was a completely and utterly avoidable tragedy.

I read that the other instructor who worked for her tried to get her to change the route because of the conditions, but she insisted on going that way as it would be more exciting…

She also attempted to shift significant blame onto her dead colleague
This woman is low

It's the way the water flows over it and washes around a bit like a washing machine.

It's very hard to get out of it

What an awful tragedy. Looking a photos of a weir I would never have guessed they are so dangerous, they look like very small ramps/ledges.

The fish ramp was so narrow, inexperienced people didn’t have a hope in hell of navigating down it.

Lives were lost as a direct consequence of her actions.

She didn't set out to kill them, so it's not murder but if she hadn't acted the way she did-her actions-then four souls would be alive today. She showed no remorse-she lied and tried to blame a dead colleague.

I imagine that's why she got 2 years six months for each life that was lost-which seems pretty lenient to me.

Four people will no longer feel the sun on their back, no longer laugh, no longer see their loved one, no longer cry, no longer sleep, no longer breathe because of her actions. She condemned them to darkness.

I think the sentence should have reflected that and been 5 years for each life which is still lenient.

Yes, and according to the reports, the people on the trip did not know they were going to be going down a weir at all. She went successfully down the very narrow fish pass, and everyone else just fell down over the weir. Horrific. I know this part of Wales very well. It's just awful walking along that river and thinking about what happened to them.

Fair enough however he could have stood his ground. I’m not blaming him at all but I do wonder how thing would have turned out if he’d survived. At least there was text message evidence of him saying it wasn’t a good idea.

I was going to book with this company for me and my daughter the same year, but chose surfing at the last minute. 🙏

Reading about the case has been truly harrowing.

It's the bubbles. All those bubbles make it harder to be buoyant.

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/people/inexperienced-kayaker-43-died-after-capsizing-on-swollen-river-ure-near-ripon-3517340

It's so easy to buy water sports equipment but the water must be respected

I do kayaking and some sailing. I can't believe she thought it was a good idea to go on a river, in flood, with a weir. You've got to know your route and weirs are incredibly dangerous. I know people who have bought inflatable kayaks and have drowned when they've gone over a weir.

When you are taking people out, you have a responsibility to them if you claim to be an instructor.

The fact that no route seems to have been discussed, no briefing, no next of kin contacts etc.

Lessons shouldn't need to be learned, These should be known already

There was video footage of her with the police a lot further down the river - she’d tried to phone the other instructor and could t get an answer. I’m not condoning her behaviour but those who are saying she didn’t go in to save the people - she couldn’t - she’d been taken way downstream by the flow.

I have wondered if the other instructor, if he’d survived would he have been held accountable too? Had they taken responsibility for this trip jointly?

I remembered this incorrectly, it was actually soldiers not scouts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-34347337

Decades ago near me a scout group died in similar circumstances, got pulled over a weir and drowned. Apparently the extra oxygen in the water makes it much harder to be boyant which combined with the weight of water pushing down on you makes it very difficult to escape. These risks are known and should have been known to her. You can’t expect novices to know though, they’d have trusted her.

10 years isn't actually long enough when you consider that four people lost their lives due to her negligence. 😞