Tesco supermarket to display safety stickers on paddleboards after death of Emma Powell

A supermarket had become the first retailer to display safety advice on its stand-up paddleboards following the death of a woman.

Emma Louise Powell, from the Llandudno area, died after she and two others came into difficulty while in the water at Conwy Morfa beach.

An inquest heard how Ms Powell, who was described by her family as a "vibrant soul with a huge heart", died just hours after she and her cousin Amber Powell, 21, had each bought an inflatable paddleboard from a Tesco store near Llandudno.

Following the incident in July 2022, Tesco will now include safety stickers on their stand-up paddleboards.

Neither Ms Powell nor her cousin were wearing life jackets at the time and both crashed into the side of a jetty. Soon after, the pair vanished and Ms Powell became trapped underneath the water.

The incident sparked a major rescue operation at the time.

Senior coroner John Gittins, explained Ms Powell was the victim of an “incredibly tragic set of circumstances”. Praising the “admirable” efforts of rescuers, he said she appeared a “lovely young woman with a bright future”.

Expressing concern over the use of ankle leashes and retailers’ responsibilities, he later issued a prevention of future deaths report to the UK Government and to Tesco.

The supermarket chain has now said it will attach a British Canoeing safety sticker to all its stand-up paddleboards (SUP).

The sticker depicts a SUP infographic that shows the correct ways to wear a leash in different water conditions. It also has a QR code linked to British Canoeing’s Go Paddling website for further information.

British Canoeing said it was a “crucial step” in raising SUP safety awareness among the general public as the activity’s popularity continues to rise. Tesco has pledged to share information with other retailers and British Canoeing is now expecting other major supermarkets to follow suit with their safety messaging.

Ashley Metcalfe, chief executive of British Canoeing, explained: “Provision of safety information and resources by retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers at the point of sale is key to raising awareness of safety among new and novice paddlers. Tragically, over the past couple of years there have been several fatalities involving new and novice paddlers.

"In light of this, we have been approached by several large retailers who were keen to use our safety guidance to inform their customers.”

In its letter to the coroner, Tesco said it “worked hard” to ensure the products it sells are safe. It added that “to learn that any of our customers have died whilst using one of our products is very upsetting”.