Father wrongly told son 'drowned'

Rory Ryan had been drinking in Mumbles all afternoon

A father told an inquest in Swansea he "went to hell and back" after wrongly being told his son was feared drowned.

Stephen Skubala was asked to identify his son Andrew at a morgue, but discovered it was someone else's body.

However, he still did not know Andrew, 17 at the time, was safe and well until he arrived home later after a party.

The body of postman Rory Ryan, 30, was discovered after a sea search off Mumbles in August 2002. Police were initially given the wrong name.

Mr Ryan's body was pulled from the water on 11 August 2002. He had been drinking all day with a man he met the previous night, Gareth Isherwood.

Day two of the inquest heard it was Mr Isherwood who later wrongly told police the missing man was Andrew Skubala, an acquaintance from school.

That night I can honestly say I went to hell and back Stephen Skubala

Andrew's father Stephen, himself a police officer, described how two colleagues then called at his house in Blackpill near Mumbles.

They told him his son was believed missing and an air and sea rescue was underway off the village's promenade.

"I was obviously devastated after what I had been told - I firmly believed that Andrew was dead," he said.

In fact his son was at a house party in Dunvant but could not be contacted because there was no signal on his mobile phone.

Family and friends gathered to support Mr Skubala who tried but failed to contact his wife who was having a night out.

When the body was recovered a wallet was found with Mr Ryan's identification.

Totally unaware

Mr Skubala was asked to go to a morgue to identify the body and found it was not his son.

He told Swansea coroner Philip Rogers he still feared his son was involved and it was not until Andrew walked in through the door - totally unaware of the situation - that he knew for certain he was alive.

"That night I can honestly say I went to hell and back," he added.

He said he had no criticism of the way South Wales Police dealt with the matter and praised his colleagues for their supportive manner.

The inquest had already heard that Mr Isherwood and Mr Ryan had been drinking together in Swansea on the Saturday night, and the binge continued into Sunday in Mumbles.

"Clowning around"

Witnesses described how they saw two men in an intoxicated state on the promenade at about 19.45 BST.

One of the men went into the sea at high tide and could be seen to be "clowning around".

In a statement holiday maker John Scotney said he saw the man duck under the water but on the third time he did not resurface.

A rescue attempt involving the lifeboat, coastguards and an RAF helicopter was soon launched.

It was then that Mr Isherwood gave the wrong name to officers.

A body was recovered and later identified to be that of Rory Ryan, of Pontardawe. Drugs and alcohol were later found to be in his system.

The inquest had previously heard how Mr Ryan's father Carl, a freelance photographer, had been taking pictures of the rescue for news reports - unaware it was his son who was missing.

Mr Ryan senior has criticised the initial police investigation.

The inquest continues.