Tragedy of father and son who went to sea in a tiny boat

Sheena Watkins listened as an inquest was told that her son Arun was not wearing a lifejacket or armbands and that the 7ft vessel was not intended to be used in the open sea.

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But suggestions that her estranged husband Alan may have killed Arun before committing suicide were rejected by police.

The tragedy unfolded at Littlehampton, West Sussex, on June 10 after Mr Watkins, 50, arranged with his 35-year-old wife to take their son to the seaside for the day.

The inquest in Worthing was told that shortly after his wife started divorce proceedings, Mr Watkins had looked up a website offering advice on committing suicide.

Detective Sergeant Paul Sellings said Mr Watkins had looked at the site about six weeks before his death but only on "one day and for a matter of minutes".

"Alan and Arun had an excellent relationship and it was very unlikely that Alan would want any harm to come to Arun," he said.

"He was making plans for the weeks to come. There was no note suggesting he would harm himself. We did not find any evidence to support the fact it was anything more than an accident."

Mrs Watkins, a nurse, from Peckham, South London, told the inquest: "He never made any suggestions that he may harm himself.

"He did not take the news of our marriage break up very well but things were getting better."

Mr Watkins was seen taking the Zodiac Cadet dinghy into the water around 4.30pm on June 10. He had recently bought the boat.

Just over two hours later, two men returning to shore in a yacht found Arun's body floating in the water. He was wearing an all-in-one sunsuit without armbands or a lifejacket. He was pronounced dead in hospital despite attempts to revive him.

The empty dinghy was found nearby shortly afterwards. An air and sea search was launched but it was not until two days later that Mr Watkins' body was found floating face down in the English Channel about half-a-mile out to sea.

Captain Roderick Johnson, from HM Coastguard, said: "That type of dinghy is not intended for excursions on the open sea - no matter what the conditions. Boats of this type are not resistant to capsize. It is not a sea boat."

Martin Milward, deputy assistant coroner for West Sussex, recorded accident verdicts on both Mr Watkins and Arun.

"I have no evidence of what happened in those missing two hours on June 10," he said. "No evidence of safety equipment such as radios, mini-flares or lifejackets were found on the boat.

"The engine was not running smoothly and no kill switch for the engine had been attached. I believe some dreadful accident has befallen Alan and Arun Watkins and unfortunately no one witnessed what happened to them or came to their aid."