Photographer unaware son had died

Rory Ryan had been drinking in Mumbles all afternoon

A freelance photographer captured a sea search off Mumbles near Swansea for news reports, unaware rescuers were looking for his son, an inquest heard.

Postman Rory Ryan's body was recovered from the sea on 11 August, 2002. Drugs and alcohol were found in his system.

His father Carl left with rescue footage, but did not discover for several hours his own son had died.

The inquest heard Mr Ryan, a former police officer, was highly critical of the investigation into his son's death.

Fitness fanatic Rory Ryan, 30, had been on a drinking binge and a number of drugs were found in his system.

The inquest in Swansea heard he had been out with friends at clubs in Swansea on the night of Saturday 10 August.

I had no idea at the time I was actually filming a rescue attempt involving my son Carl Ryan

They had continued drinking throughout the night and around lunchtime on Sunday he and another man, Gareth Isherwood, went to pubs in Mumbles.

Around 16.30 BST Mr Ryan called his friend Cindy Sanders, who had been with him earlier, to try to persuade her to join them. He told her he was "steaming," the inquest heard.

His father Carl, who works as a photographer for magazines and newspapers, was called to Mumbles along with a television cameraman at about 21.30 BST, after initial reports an 18-year-old boy was missing at sea.

"Gut-instinct"

He told Swansea coroner Philip Rogers: "I had no idea at the time I was actually filming a rescue attempt involving my son."

Around the time the body was recovered Mr Ryan senior and his colleague left the scene and drove the footage to Cardiff.

It was there he received a message telling him police wanted to speak to him.

He said he knew his son had been out in Mumbles and suddenly "had a gut-instinct" that it was Rory who rescuers had been looking for.

Mr Ryan described his son as a hard-working single man who enjoyed outdoor activities and keeping fit.

"He never gave myself or his mother a day's trouble. The loss of Rory has left myself and the rest of the family totally devastated," he said.

Toxic substances

Coroner Mr Rogers said subsequent toxicology reports had found "a number of different drugs in his system."

But Mr Ryan said he had no indication his son had ever taken illegal substances and he was "at a loss" to explain why they showed up.

"I'm not disputing that he had that in his system - it's how it came into his system that I'm concerned about," he said.

The hearing was told Mr Ryan had been "highly critical" of the original police investigation and had written to his MP Peter Hain and the chief constable of South Wales Police to register his concerns.

It led to senior investigators working for the force reviewing the case in 2004.

The inquest continues.