The cause of death of three sisters found in the sea off Brighton beach remains unclear, an inquest has heard, though police have ruled out foul play. The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, from Uxbridge, west London, were recovered from the water near Madeira Drive on 13 May.
At a hearing in Brighton on Friday, senior coroner Penelope Schofield opened the inquest and stated that postmortem examinations had given a provisional cause of death as “yet to be ascertained”. Medical investigations are ongoing to finalise the cause, but Sussex Police have said there is no evidence of criminality or third-party involvement.
The sisters’ father, Joseph Jacobson, who attended the hearing online, described the loss as “unbearable” in a statement released through police. He said: “Jane, Christina and Becky were more than daughters to me; they were my joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love.” A GoFundMe page for the women’s funerals has raised nearly £44,000 from over 2,000 donations.
The inquest heard that emergency services were called at around 5.45am after concerns were raised for a person’s welfare. Adetoro was brought to shore by an RNLI crew, Christina Walters was recovered by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters was washed onto the beach. All three were declared dead by paramedics at the scene.
Police have reviewed CCTV footage and made inquiries to businesses and properties near the beach to trace the sisters’ last movements. Ch Supt Adam Hays said the force “will leave no stone unturned” in understanding what led to the tragedy. The coroner adjourned the inquest to 8 October, expressing hope that the details would curb social media speculation.
