The tragic final moments of a happy-go-lucky teenager found dead in the sea by his distraught parents remain a mystery.

Eugene Williams was discovered on the beach in Hampton, Herne Bay, by his mum, Miranda, and dad, Andy, after he failed to return home from a night out.

An inquest into his death at Archbishop’s Palace, Maidstone, heard how the 18-year-old had been drinking with friends Callum Hart and Oliver Margetts in Western Esplanade on Friday, February 14, before he disappeared.

The pair waited for Eugene for about two hours before deciding to leave at about midnight, thinking he had walked to his home in nearby Ridgeway Cliff.

In a statement read out to the hearing yesterday, Mr Hart said: “We were all planning on having some drinks and walking home afterwards.

“Both Eugene and Oliver smoked cannabis joints in the car. They drunk quite quickly and were quite drunk.”

The friends said they lost sight of Eugene when he decided to walk off to compose himself after vomiting.

But the next morning Eugene’s parents realised their son was not home and decided to search the beach with Mr Margetts and his father.

In a statement read on Mrs Williams’ behalf, she said: “Eugene’s coat, wallet and keys were in Oliver’s car, which made me concerned.

“Oliver’s dad had some binoculars and spotted Eugene. They were pointing to the tide line.

“I immediately knew he was dead.”

Describing her son as “happy”, Mrs Williams added that he “had not expressed any reasons to take his life”.

Police, fire crews and the coastguard were among the emergency crews sent to Hampton when his body was discovered shortly after midday on February 15.

Toxicology reports found traces of cocaine and cannabis in Eugene’s system, as well as “modest” levels of alcohol.

Despite this, DS Richard Lown told the hearing he had not been told by either of the former Herne Bay High School pupil’s friends that he had taken cocaine.

The officer added: “He had a happy-go-lucky attitude and had a great friendship group.

“There was no sense of a serious assault and there’s nothing to suggest he had taken his life.

“The evidence from the scene appears to suggest a tragic accident or misadventure.”

During his narrative conclusion, assistant coroner James Dillon offered his condolences to Eugene’s family and friends.

He said: “The evidence available only takes me so far. We do not know what had become of Eugene after 10pm on February 14.

“Post-mortem evidence shows Eugene had drowned. Toxicology shows that he had taken both cannabis and cocaine and a modest amount of alcohol.

“No other sign of injury has been identified and it’s not known how he came to be in the sea, and that’s unfortunately because anything I might write is speculation.”

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