Three sisters found dead in sea off Brighton beach

A father has spoken of his unbearable grief after the bodies of his three daughters were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach in a suspected coastal shelf accident. The women have been identified by Sussex Police as Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, from the Uxbridge area of London. Emergency services were called to the beach near Black Rock car park off Madeira Drive at around 5.45am on May 13 following reports of a person in difficulty in the water. The bodies of the three sisters were later recovered from the sea nearby.

Their father, Joseph, said in a statement released through police:

No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives. 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. He described the tragedy as leaving an emptiness that words cannot heal” and said he holds tightly to the memories they shared, the bond that death can never take away.

Police have said there is no evidence to suggest third-party involvement or criminality, but specialist detectives are working to gather the full facts. The investigation to understand how the sisters came to be in the water is ongoing and has included the review of hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from properties and businesses around the beach area.

3 Black sisters (all wearing their clothes) were found dead at Brighton beach, the UK. 5 other Black women were also found on different waters across the UK. I don't believe this is accidental! pic.twitter.com/BVevHW5k8R

— Nora (@Heal_within96) May 21, 2026

A significant line of inquiry is that the women may have entered the sea and gotten into difficulty after stepping off a coastal shelf. Brighton and Hove City Council had previously issued warnings about the sharp drops in the seabed not far from the shore. A Coastguard source suggested the women may have misjudged the depth to which the beach can suddenly drop, noting that the shingle shelf can be dangerous for swimmers and paddlers.

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