Dad-of-two swept to his death in swollen river trying to fix telephone line

Telecoms giant Openreach Limited has been fined £1.34 million after an engineer lost his life whilst trying to repair a telephone line near a swollen river.

Dad-of-two Alun Owen, 32, tragically died after he slipped and fell into the River Aber in Abergwyngregyn and was swept away on October 6, 2020.

Alun, also known as “Al Bonc”, has been described by his family as a ‘loving and selfless character’.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) probe found that he should never have been put in the "unsafe working position". Openreach Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and was fined £1.34 million and ordered to pay costs of £15,858.35 at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, June 5, reports Wales Online.

The investigation by HSE and North Wales Police, discovered that a number of Openreach engineers had been attempting to repair the telephone lines, which ran across the river, for two months before the tragedy. Both had been working nearby, and in the river.

The probe found that at the time of the incident, there had been flooding in the area which meant the river was much higher and faster flowing than normal.

It also reported that on the day of the incident, Mr Owen entered the water and made his way to an island in the middle of the river in order to try and throw a new telephone cable across to the other side by taping it to a hammer and then throwing the hammer. However, while attempting to cross the remaining section of the river, he slipped in a deeper part and the force of the river swept him away.

The investigation found that there was no safe system of work in place, nor had Mr Owen – and others working alongside him on the job – received training, information or instruction on safe working on or near water.

A statement from Mr Owen’s family said: “The genuine love and affection shown to us since the tragedy that unfolded on the 6 October 2020 is a real testimony to Al and how everyone just loved his friendly, loving and selfless character.

“Although it’s sometimes difficult to see beyond the sorrow, we will keep his memory alive through reminiscing those many precious moments he had in his love-filled life.”

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Christina Roberts said: “This was a tragic incident that resulted in the death of a much loved young man. Mr Owen’s family, friends and colleagues have always remained in our thoughts.

“His death would have been preventable had an effective system for working on or near water been in place. Mr Owen should not have been put in the unsafe working situation. Companies should learn the lessons from this incident if they have staff who may work on or near water and be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

North Wales Police Detective Chief Inspector Andy Gibson said: “Our thoughts remain with Alun’s family at this difficult time. North Wales Police worked closely with HSE and whilst it was a protracted and lengthy investigation, it was critical that any failings were identified and acted upon.”

An Openreach spokesperson said: “Nothing can ever make up for the loss of Alun. He was a very well-respected and popular colleague, and the impact of his death remains significant and is felt directly by people across Openreach. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.

“As an organisation, we accept that we could’ve done more to make sure our engineers had the right guidance, processes and training when working on, or near, water. We’re very sorry that we fell short of the required standards, and we deeply regret the loss of Alun, as well as the impact on his family, friends and colleagues.

“The safety of our entire workforce, customers and the public remains our priority, and we’re working hard to make sure something like this never happens again.

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