Death of man who drowned near Brighton pier ruled a suicide

Birol Gundogdu climbed over the railings on Brighton Palace Pier after “feeling the pressures of the end of his PhD”.

The father-of-one, originally from Turkey, did not cry out for help as he dropped into the stormy water beneath the pier.

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Emergency services scrambled to rescue the 31-year-old but he was "beyond saving" by the time they reached him.

He was pulled from the water and taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital where he was declared dead.

Rescue attempts to save Birol on July 30

An inquest ruled his death was suicide - with Birol also struggling during lockdown when he was unable to see his wife and child.

Assistant coroner Sarah Clarke said: “I simply cannot find any other explanations for Birol’s actions, on that basis, I must record a conclusion of suicide.

“Birol had taken his bag off his back and gone over the railings. There is no evidence Birol called out for help, which I might have expected had this been accidental.

“Despite the fact there were others present on the pier, there is no mention of any cries for help.

“On the basis on the evidence I have heard, I find that on the balance of probabilities, Birol went over those railings intentionally.

"And it was those actions that ended his life."

Birol Gundogdu

Birol, who was studying mechanical engineering at the University of Sussex, went to the pier on July 30.

Brighton and Hove Coroner's Court heard how he crossed a barrier, accessing an area which was closed due to bad weather.

Witness Christopher Reid, who had also crossed the barrier to take photos of the shoreline, said he thought Birol was "just messing about" at first.

The inquest heard how Birol was on the pier for 85 minutes before going into the water, at a point where there was no CCTV cameras.

In a statement, Mr Reid described how he spotted Birol in water and ran to get help before returning to search for a lifebuoy.

He recalled seeing Birol in the sea, “holding on tight” to a beam before he “leant backwards, let go of the beam and vanished”.

The hearing yesterday was told how Birol was in the water for around 45 minutes before he was airlifted by a rescue helicopter.

Ms Clarke said there had been a delay in getting him out the water due to “extreme weather conditions” at the time.

“By the time Birol was located, he was beyond saving,” she said.

Rescue attempts to save Birol on July 30

Birol had arrived at the University of Sussex in 2017 but was struggling with his studies at the time of his death.

Ms Clarke said he had been “feeling the pressures of the end of his PhD”.

A report from the University of Sussex heard how he had an annual meeting about his PhD just days before his death.

In the meeting on July 26, his supervisor became aware he seemed “unhappy”.

During the meeting, Birol disclosed he felt he had failed to do the work for his PhD.

The day following his death, a friend contacted police to say he had been staying with Birol due to concerns over his mental health.

The friend said he had previously had several conversations with Birol about his suicidal thoughts.

According to his GP, Birol had raised concerns about his concentration levels three years earlier, but had always denied any stress or anxiety.

Another friend told police that Birol was struggling with his PhD and was being “bullied by his tutors”.

However, a report by the university found no wrongdoing.

Ms Clarke ruled his death a suicide with an official cause of death of drowning in sea water.

It is likely Birol was in cardiac arrest for more than 90 minutes before his death, according to a hospital report.

A toxicology report found no alcohol or drugs in his system.

A fundraiser for Birol, of Staplefield Drive, Brighton, was set up after his death.

The GoFundMe page has raised more than £43,000 to date.