A funeral has been held for three sisters who died in the sea in Brighton last month.
The BBC was invited to cover the service, which took place in London, by the family of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31.
Jane Adetoro was a senior accountant, Christina Walters was a junior accountant and Rebecca Walters was a human resources (HR) administrator.
The three women, who were born in Luton, died on Wednesday 13 May in what the coroner Penelope Schofield said were “tragic circumstances”.
Their father, Joseph Jacobson, wrote in the order of service: “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.
“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.”
Their sister Lilian wrote: “We were four and now l am one.”
The sisters’ cousin Natalie Walters-Daniel spoke on behalf of the family at the funeral. She 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.”
An inquest into the three sisters’ deaths was opened in Brighton last month and adjourned until October.
The coroner offered her condolences to Mr Jacobson and told him: “It must be a difficult day for your family. The loss of your daughters in these tragic circumstances must be unbearable.”
The inquest heard that it fell to Mr Jacobson to identify formally his daughters’ bodies.
The police did not believe that anyone else was involved in the death of the sisters and the West Sussex, Brighton and Hove Coroner’s Court was also told: “Medical investigations are ongoing to finalise the cause of death.”
The court was also told that Jane Adetoro’s body was brought to shore by a volunteer RNLI lifeboat crew and she was declared dead at the scene.
A lifeboat crew also recovered the body of Christina Walters from the sea. She was taken to the lifeboat station at Brighton Marina where she was pronounced dead.
The body of Rebecca Walters was washed ashore near Black Rock.
All three sisters lived in Greenford, near Ealing, in west London.
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, the police divisional commander in Brighton and Hove, had previously said that Sussex Police would “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation.
Police were exploring various lines of inquiry which include “understanding exactly who Jane, Christina and Rebecca were, to help us build a picture of how and why they came to be at the beach that morning”.
The inquest is due to resume in October.
