Three sisters who drowned in the sea off Brighton took their own lives, a coroner has ruled.

Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, had been living very secluded lives following the death of their mother, who also drowned in 2010, senior coroner Penelope Schofield said.

The sisters, who had been living together in Greenford, London, visited an area of Birmingham close to where their mother died before travelling to Brighton beach. They drowned in adverse sea conditions in the early hours of May 13, despite being unable to swim. Their father, Joseph Jacobsen, expressed his heartbreak, stating there are no words that can adequately express the pain of losing a child.

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield stated that the sisters lived incredibly private lives and the reasons for their actions, or their choice of Brighton, may never be known. The court is not in a position to speculate on their motives.

The inquest heard that the sisters arrived in Brighton by taxi late on May 12 and were seen pacing the seafront. CCTV footage showed them at different points along Brighton's east beach, with the last sighting of them alive occurring at 02:42 on May 13. An Uber driver noted a lack of conversation during their journey to the coast.

Analysis of Christina Walters' laptop revealed 227 references to water and 179 references to suicide. Her medical records indicated she had been experiencing anxiety and depression since her mother's death. Rebecca Walters' medical records showed nothing of note, and Jane Adetoro was not registered with a doctor, the court was told.

Postmortem examinations found no drugs or alcohol in the sisters' systems, and there was no evidence of violence. Jane Adetoro was recovered by an RNLI crew and pronounced dead at the scene. Christina Walters, an accountant, and Rebecca Walters, who worked in HR, were also recovered from the sea.

The coroner confirmed that the mother's death in 2010 was also ruled as drowning. The investigation into the sisters' deaths aimed to understand the circumstances, but the ultimate reasons behind their decision remain unclear.