“She Was Going to Die”: Mother of 22-Year-Old Breaks Down Reminiscing Horrifying Details From Daughter’s Swimming Expedition in Pembrokeshire Sea

Open swimming has many challenges: from aquatic animals to dangerous waves. However, while these dangers are rare, one should also factor in human carelessness while swimming in open waters. A 22-year-old woman was left battling for her life during one such incident last summer. While swimming near the popular Amroth Beach in Pembrokeshire, Caitlin Edwards encountered untreated sewage. This unsuspecting danger proved to be a major threat to her life.

Her innocent dip took a terrifying turn after she contracted E. coli. This led to Edwards battling a rare and life-threatening condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). HUS severely impacts the kidneys. A year later, her mother, Jayne Etherington, is opening up on her horrendous experience as she watched her daughter fight for her life.

Swimming adventure gone wrong

Last year, around 24th August, untreated sewage found its way into the sea at Wiseman’s Bridge, which is located quite close to Amroth Beach. In addition, several Welsh beaches, including Wiseman’s Bridge and Saundersfoot, witnessed storm sewage discharges. All this and Welsh Water’s combined storm overflows (CSOs) were identified as the real culprits.

According to an ITV report, Jayne Etherington said, “We were allowed to believe it was a CSO spill. No one said: This is something more serious.” Welsh Water organization responded by claiming that they had nothing to do with this spill, which was a spill from a private source.

Around the same time, warning signs were also put up in the affected beach zones and Pembrokeshire County Council. Natural Resources Wales announced they were looking into the matter. But 22-year-old Caitlin Edwards remained unaware of the sewage spill and continued to swim with her mother every day.

Soon after she resumed college in London, she started suffering from severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. After getting admitted to a hospital, doctors diagnosed Edwards with E. coli and HUS. Her mother explained, “She’d gone from a happy, healthy, vibrant 22-year-old to looking like she was going to die. We didn’t know she wasn’t. It was horrendous.” This entire ordeal has been difficult for the mother-daughter duo and now Jayne Etherington is doing her bit to ensure other people’s safety.

Jayne Etherington encourages people to come forward

Welsh Water confirmed that the source of the sewage spill was from a private discharge. Authorities claimed that they took swift action. They added that the responsible persons behind the spill have resolved the issue and authorities have verified that no other victims were harmed. However, Edwards’ mother, Jayne Etherington, is determined to not let anybody else suffer the same way her daughter did. Etherington is also trying to get in touch with people who may have been affected by the sewage water, like her daughter.

Read more: 87 Deaths Later, Texas City Shuts Down Swimming in Popular Lake Indefinitely

She also claims that around the time of the incident, many reports said that people were getting sick. The toxic water may have caused this. It remains to be seen whether more people will come forward and if authorities will take stronger actions. As for Caitlin Edwards, she defied her doctor’s expectations. Not only did she make a full recovery, she also completed her university program and got degrees in Spanish and English.

Watch this story: 22-Year-Old Loses His Life While Swimming Back to Shore in Another Drowning Tragedy in Lake Lanier