'We were four, and now I am one': Sister whose three siblings died in sea off Brighton pays tribute at their funeral as family gather to say final goodbyes

By PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER Published: 18:09, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 18:27, 29 June 2026 The sister whose three siblings died in the sea off Brighton paid them a poignant tribute as the family gathered for their joint funeral. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, died in what police said was a 'tragic incident' on May 13. At the sombre service in north-west London, Lilian, the only one remaining of the sisters, wrote: 'We were four, and now I am one.' Their father Joseph Jacobson meanwhile said: 'You were more than my daughters: you were my joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled my life with love. 'No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives. 'There are moments when it feels unbearable, but I hold tightly to the memories we shared, the love we knew and the bond that nothing can ever take away.' Recalling each of their most treasured traits, he continued:  'Jane, I will never forget your strength. Tina, your kindness touched so many lives. Becky, your warmth and joyful spirit brought happiness wherever you went. 'Though I can no longer see you, I carry you in my heart every day.' Joseph Jacobson (second from left) with his daughters (left to right) Jane Adetoro, Christina Walters, and Rebecca Walters, who all died in the sea off Brighton in May Rebecca was washed onto the shore but declared dead, and Jane and Christina's bodies were then found at sea by the RNLI and brought to shore The trio were found fully clothed in the English Channel at around 5:45am.   Sussex Police has confirmed there was no evidence of criminality, and they are not looking for anyone in connection with their deaths. However, the force is still investigating how the came to be in the water that night. Relatives previously revealed the sisters' mother, Janice, had died by drowning in Birmingham 16 years ago.  Speaking at the funeral on behalf of the family, their cousin, Natalie Walters-Daniel, said: 'Your lives will never be forgotten, and your memory will live on forever. 'Together they accomplished so much. 'They pursued their education, they built careers, they created lives that reflected the values their parents instilled in them,' the BBC reports. The sisters were all born in Luton but had been living together in Greenford, north-west London when they died. Ms Walters-Daniel said Jane had been working as a senior accountant, Christina a junior accountant, and Rebecca Walters a HR administrator. An inquest was opened into their deaths on May 29. The court at Woodvale Crematorium, Brighton, heard how Rebecca had been washed onto the shore of the beach on May 13 but was declared dead by a paramedic. Jane and Christina's bodies were then found at sea and brought to shore by an RNLI crew. Post mortems have been carried out by Dr Olaf Biedryzycki but have yet to establish how they died with the cause of death for all three women 'yet to be ascertained'. Coroner's officer Victoria Foreman said: 'Medical examinations are ongoing to finalise the cause of death, but at this stage police are satisfied that there was no third party involvement.'  Coroner Penelope Schofield said she hoped information provided at the inquest opening would bring an end to social media speculation over the cause of the deaths. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.