TWO cousins drowned after they were swept off rocks by large waves.
An eye witness saw the pair climb over the tall rocks and one of them – who was naked – was swept off them by waves which he said were 20 feet higher than the outcrop.
Daniel Hoare who alerted rescuers said the first man – Jordan O’Rourke – was screaming loudly in the water and waving his arms.
An inquest at Coroner’s court was told that the second man, Luke Keyte-Rigby, who was wearing shorts, was also washed into the ‘choppy’ sea at Oddicombe beach in Torquay, , and both men disappeared from his view as he raised the alarm.
He told at the scene: “They climbed to the tallest part of the rocks.
“The waves were 20 feet higher than the rocks.
“The wave knocked the first man into the water, he was screaming loudly and waving his arms.”;
He said another wave then knocked cinema worker Luke into the water.
A major air sea rescue was launched and Teignmouth lifeboat plucked Jordan unconscious from the sea before finding Luke face down in the sea and also unconscious shortly afterwards.
Jordan, 24, died at the scene but Luke, also 24, died hours later in Torbay hospital from multi organ failure, cardiac arrest and drowning.
Police recovered empty beer cans, vodka bottles and cannabis from the scene and the cousins were known to smoke cannabis and drink alcohol when they were together.
Area coroner Alison Longhorn said the cousins spent time together socialising at various places around Torbay but had not told any family members their plans for that weekend.
Toxicology tests showed Jordan, of no fixed abode, had taken cocaine and cannabis and drunk alcohol beforehand and Luke had also consumed alcohol and taken cocaine.
The inquest heard this could have affected their cognitive behaviour on the morning of May 27th 2023 when they climbed onto the rocks at the side of the beach.
Mark O’Rourke told the hearing that his brother was not a good swimmer.
The coroner recorded misadventure conclusions on the cousins.
