The body of a young man struggling with autism and mental health issues was discovered on a beach 63 miles away from where he disappeared, an inquest into his death heard.
Hugo Bedward was reported missing from his family home in Penzance on December 7, 2024 after a suicide note was discovered on his computer alluding to his autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and his anxiety caused by not being able to “hold down a job” after a trial month as a cleaner at a local Penzance school did not work out.
A police, coastguard and RNLI search for the 26-year-old was launched in Mount’s Bay as Hugo’s belongings including a hoodie bearing Hugo’s school logo and other items of clothing and a towel were found abandoned in a supermarket bag on Long Rock beach by a dog walker the next morning.
On January 18, 2025 the body of a man wearing a rash vest matching that known to have been worn by Hugo in the past was discovered by another dog walker on Downderry beach in South East Cornwall, some 55 nautical miles (63 miles) away from where Hugo was last seen at Long Rock.
A postmortem examination found that due to Hugo’s body having been in the water for a month it was not possible to ascertain the medical cause of his death. However it was possible to see that he had not suffered any trauma from any third party involvement.
Hugo’s identify was confirmed through DNA analysis.
The inquest into his death held in Truro today (April 30) heard how CCTV footage showed Hugo walking through Penzance towards Long Rock beach on the evening of December 7, 2024 while carrying a bag and wearing his school branded hoodie.
His family said he had been fine that day and they’d had no cause for concern about his wellbeing. It was only when they discovered the note on his computer that they raised the alarm with Devon and Cornwall Police which was then escalated to a multi-agency missing person search.
At the time of Hugo’s death, his loved ones paid tribute a young man who loved the sea, online gaming and rollerskating and had been looking forward to a family holiday in California.
In a tribute to him they said: “Taken too young but now at peace with the dolphins and the sea you loved so much. We miss your laugh, your lopsided grin, spicy sauce, the shrug of your shoulders, the maybe, the running up the stairs, your love of new experiences and teaching us to embrace the rollercoasters. Sadly you had to take your last great rollercoaster ride without us.”
The inquest heard how Hugo was diagnosed with autism and later ADHD in his 20s before the family relocated to Penzance in 2023.
While the medication for his autism and anxiety helped, Hugo suffered from low moods and low energy.
Not being kept on in his job as a cleaner also seems to have knocked his confidence back which added to his anxiety.
The inquest heard how in his computer note Hugo said that he intended to take his own life.
Returning a narrative conclusion, assistant coroner for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Stephen Covell, said Hugo had likely intended to take his own life but it had not been possible to determine the cause of his death.
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