Chef drowned while swimming during Brighton stag weekend

A IRISH chef was five times the legal drink-drive limit when he drowned at sea during a stag party in a seaside resort on England’s south coast, an inquest heard today.

Ruairi Kelly, 28, decided to go skinny-dipping next to the Palace Pier in Brighton, East Sussex, on August 9 after drinking heavily.

The inquest at Brighton County Court heard that a number of people, including members of the 14-strong stag party, waded into the rough sea in a bid to reach Dublin-born Mr Kelly, but were beaten back by strong waves.

Coroner’s officer Jane Ritchie said Mr Kelly — described as a fit and healthy young man — was in the water for about 25 minutes before he was retrieved by a RNLI lifeboat.

Resuscitation attempts continued until he arrived by ambulance at the city’s Royal Sussex County Hospital, but he was pronounced dead just after 8.30pm.

Toxicology tests carried out on Mr Kelly, of Eastern Green, Leixlip, Co Kildare, found he had 390mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. The legal drink-drive limit is 80mg.

Ms Ritchie said that such a level of alcohol would have caused “severe toxicity”.

Mr Kelly was formally identified by his friend Sean Lennon.

The cause of death was given as drowning with the presence of alcohol. The coroner was told there was nothing to suggest that any natural disease played a part in Mr Kelly’s death, nor was there any third-party involvement.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, deputy coroner of Brighton and Hove, Gilver Tisshaw, said: “This was a tragic loss of life for someone so young.”

No relatives were in court for today’s hearing but it is understood another inquest will be held in Ireland.

Mr Kelly, was a keen sportsman and a member of the local GAA in Maynooth, Co Kildare.