‘My daughter unknowingly swam in sewage-filled sea, she contracted E-coli and nearly died – I don’t want ANYONE to go through such a horrendous ordeal again’
The mother of a 22-year-old woman who fought for her life after swimming in a sewage-filled sea is urging anyone who may have been exposed to the toxic water to come forward.
Caitlin Edwards contracted E. coli after taking a swim near Amroth Beach in Pembrokeshire last summer, unconscious in a sewage-filled sea.
The 22-year-old student, who was otherwise healthy, looked like “she was going to die” after being diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a rare condition that affects the kidneys.
According to the World Health Organization, it is estimated that up to 10 percent of patients may develop HUS, which can cause neurological complications such as seizures, strokes and coma.
Her mother, Jayne Etherington, watched her daughter fight for her life for five months in an “absolutely horrific” ordeal.
Caitlin’s mother, Jayne Etherington (pictured: left), watched her daughter fight for her life for five months in an “absolutely horrific” ordeal
Caitlin Edwards, 22, contracted E. coli after taking a swim near Amroth Beach in Pembrokeshire last summer
Ms Etherington lashed out at authorities on August 24 last year for allowing untreated sewage to pollute the sea at Wiseman’s Bridge, just a few hundred meters from Amroth Beach.
“We were led to believe it was a CSO leak,” Ms. Etherington said ITV news.
She added: “No one said, ‘This is something more serious.’
Storm debris had spilled onto four popular beaches in Wales, including Wiseman’s Bridge.
The Welsh Water storm surges were blamed in reports of sewage dumping on Welsh beaches.
However, a spokesman for the water company said the spill from Wiseman’s Bridge had nothing to do with Welsh Water.
The county council had posted signs on the beach warning bathers not to enter the toxic water, but Caitlin was unaware when she and her mother decided to enter the sewage-filled sea.
The warnings were posted because the council was ‘acting on information received about a pollution incident from Natural Resources Wales’.
Pembrokeshire County Council and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said they were investigating the incident.
The mother and daughter promised to spend some quality time together and swim every day until Caitlin had to go back to college after summer break.
The mother and daughter promised to spend some quality time together and swim every day
On her return to London, Caitlin began to feel seriously ill, with severe stomach cramps and diarrhoea.
After five days, she presented to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with E. coli and HUS.
By the time her mother was contacted, Caitlin’s condition had deteriorated to the point that she had to be resuscitated.
Mrs Etherington said: ‘She had gone from a happy, healthy, vibrant 22-year-old to looking as if she were about to die. We didn’t know she wasn’t. It was horrible.’
Thankfully, Caitlin made a full recovery and has since completed her studies in English and Spanish, despite cautious doctors advising her that she might want to consider postponing her senior year after the harrowing experience.
Nicola Mills, environmental team leader for NRW, told ITV News their investigation into the pollution incident at Wiseman’s Bridge concluded that ‘the discharge of waste water was due to a failure of a private discharge point’.
By the time her mother was contacted, Caitlin’s condition had deteriorated to the point that she had to be resuscitated.
Ms Mills added: ‘The owners of the private discharge point have taken immediate action to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
“Our agents have since visited the area and no further concerns have been observed or reported.
“An ongoing CSO spill also occurred around the same time, which made it impossible to pinpoint sole responsibility for the bathing water sampling failure at Wiseman’s Bridge.”
‘Both Amroth and Wiseman’s Bridge were sampled on the same day.
“The results of those tests showed a water quality deficiency at Wiseman’s Bridge, but not at Amroth.
‘Each discharge point has its own permit limits, which are determined on an individual basis by our permit team.’
But Ms. Etherington has been urged to make sure no one else has to experience the terrifying ordeal that came with a day at the beach.
“That’s what can happen and I’m determined it doesn’t happen to anyone else,” said Ms Etherington.
She also urged anyone who may have felt ill after swimming near Wiseman’s Bridge that weekend to get in touch.
Ms Etherington said there were numerous anecdotal reports that other people had been ill around that time.