The cause of death of three sisters found in the sea off Brighton beach remains unclear, an inquest has heard. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, from Uxbridge, west London, were discovered on 13 May. Postmortem examinations gave a provisional cause of death as 'yet to be ascertained', the Brighton hearing was told on Friday.
Sussex Police have said they do not suspect foul play and there is no evidence of criminality or third-party involvement. Specialist detectives are investigating the circumstances. Senior coroner Penelope Schofield expressed condolences to the sisters' father, Joseph Jacobson, who attended online, and urged an end to social media speculation.
Jacobson paid tribute to his daughters, saying: '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 their funerals has raised nearly £44,000 from over 2,000 donations.
Emergency services were called at around 5.45am on 13 May after concerns for a person's welfare. The bodies were recovered near Madeira Drive. Adetoro was brought ashore by an RNLI crew, Christina Walters by an RNLI lifeboat, and Rebecca Walters washed onto the beach. All were declared dead at the scene.
The inquest was adjourned until 8 October. Police have reviewed CCTV and made inquiries to track the sisters' last movements. Ch Supt Adam Hays said the force 'will leave no stone unturned' in understanding the tragedy.
