Two men drowned in Devon while coasteering, inquest hears

One of the men was wearing a video camera that recorded him jumping from some rocks into the sea

Two friends drowned in the sea while coasteering in Devon in rough sea conditions, an inquest has heard.

Assistant coroner Deborah Archer recorded that the deaths of Daniel Harris, 26, and Matthew Berry, 25, on 27 June were "accidental".

The two men had been coasteering off Ansteys Cove, Torquay a common place for this activity, she added.

Both men were wearing wetsuits and shoes, while one was wearing a camera often used for underwater filming.

"We will never know whether they got into difficulties separately or whether one was trying to save the other," Ms Archer told the inquest at Torquay Town Hall.

One of the men was wearing a video camera designed for outdoor activity, which showed the wearer standing on a rocky edge and jumping into the sea, the inquest heard.

Det Con Daniel Locker, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said the sea conditions "started off pleasant" and deteriorated throughout the day.

"On that day there were so many people in trouble in the water.

"The RNLI and coastguard were extremely busy in that period."

The men were taken to Torbay Hospital from Babbacome Pier

Mr Locker said he believed the men were coasteering because the area is a common place for it and they were wearing wetsuits and shoes.

A nearby climber spotted two men in difficulty at around 13:00, Mr Locker said.

The witness said the sea had become significantly rougher and he started to worry for the men.

He could not get through to emergency services because of a lack of phone signal and climbed for 20 minutes to contact the coastguard.

The lifeboat responded within 20 minutes and retrieved the men, who were unresponsive, from the water, the inquest was told.

They were transported from Babbacombe pier to Torbay Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

Neither of the families of the men attended the inquest and Ms Archer sent her sincere condolences to them.