A coroner in the United Kingdom has concluded that three sisters who drowned off Brighton beach in southern England deliberately entered the sea to end their lives, 16 years after their mother also died by drowning.

The sisters were identified as Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31. Their deaths were investigated at an inquest in Brighton, where senior coroner Penelope Schofield ruled that they had intentionally entered the water.

According to the BBC, the sisters lived together in Greenford, west London, and had led what the coroner described as “very secluded lives” following their mother’s death in 2010.

The women’s bodies were recovered on May 13, 2026, after emergency services were alerted to people in the water near Brighton’s Black Rock area. Post-mortem examinations confirmed that all three died by drowning.

Evidence presented at the inquest showed that the sisters travelled to Birmingham on May 11, visiting an area associated with their mother’s death, before travelling to Brighton the following day.

CCTV footage captured them at different points along Brighton’s seafront during the early hours of May 13. They were last seen alive at about 2:42 a.m., according to the BBC’s report.

The inquest heard that the sisters could not swim and entered the sea in adverse conditions.

Police investigations found no evidence of criminal involvement or third-party participation in their deaths. Toxicology tests also found no evidence of drugs or alcohol in their systems.

The coroner said the reasons behind the sisters’ actions might never be fully understood and cautioned against speculation about their motives.

Their father, Joseph Jacobson, expressed profound grief over the loss of all three daughters.

In a statement read during the proceedings, he described them as intelligent and accomplished women, each with her own personality, dreams and ambitions. He said losing all three was a heartbreak beyond anything he could have imagined.

The inquest also heard that Christina had experienced anxiety and depression following their mother’s death. However, the court did not establish a definitive explanation for the decision made by all three sisters.

The case has highlighted the lasting effects that bereavement and emotional distress can have on individuals and families, although the coroner stressed that the sisters’ precise reasons for entering the sea remained unknown.