The cause of death for three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach earlier this month remains unclear, an inquest has heard. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, from Uxbridge, west London, were found on 13 May after emergency services were called at around 5.45am.
At the opening of the inquest in Brighton on Friday, senior coroner Penelope Schofield heard 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 stated they do not suspect foul play or third-party involvement.
The sisters' father, Joseph Jacobson, attended the hearing online. He described his daughters as 'my joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled our family'. He added: 'Though your time on Earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts for ever.'
The inquest heard that 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. The sisters lived at the same address in Greenford, and their occupations were not known.
Sussex Police have reviewed CCTV footage and made inquiries with local businesses to track the women's last movements. Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said the force would 'leave no stone unturned' in understanding what led to the tragedy. The inquest was adjourned until 8 October.
A GoFundMe page set up for the sisters' funerals has raised nearly £44,000 from over 2,000 donations. The coroner urged an end to social media speculation about the case.
