last August.

Coroner Kim White ruled Mr. Castro's death a drowning after an inquest yesterday afternoon.

He said that, most likely, a wave had knocked him over "and either knocked him out or caused him to be confused, disoriented and swallowing sea water''.

The court heard that the incident took place after a night of eating and drinking as Mr. Castro and some of his friends were marking the last night with friends who were leaving the Island for good.

Ian Cook, a longtime friend of the deceased since their school days at Mount Saint Agnes Academy, detailed the events leading up to the tragic swim at Elbow Beach.

Mr. Cook said the water was rough but "it did not look threatening''. He admitted the water conditions seemed to worsen and that, when he and a female friend swam to shore, she was screaming because long rocks had "scratched her up a bit''.

He said when he reached the shore his girlfriend asked where Jeff was and that he started calling out for him.

Everyone on the beach joined in the search and Mr. Cook said he continued to swim around the shore to find his lost friend.

Police and the Bermuda Fire Service attended but the body was spotted in waters off Astwood Cove at 7.35 a.m. by a woman who had gone out with her husband to look at the storm surge.

The Police Marine Section's Sgt. Gary Venning explained that water conditions were dangerous when the search began around 4 a.m. He held that the Police rescue boat could only operate outside the reef as waves breaking on the reef were between five and ten feet.

"The boat would have capsized,'' he said.

Sgt. Venning also noted that three hurricanes, although hundreds of nautical miles away, caused the turbulent conditions and strong undertow and rip tides.

"Outside the reef the water was completely calm, but right on the reef waves of between five and ten feet were crashing down and then sucking the reef dry exposing about eight to ten feet of the actual rock,'' he said.

Although only 25 at the time of his death, Mr. Castro had accomplished much.

He had a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of New Hampshire as well as a Master's degree in Business Administration.

Mr. Cook described Mr. Castro as "extremely smart'' and noted that he was an assistant financial advisor with the Bank of Bermuda.

Mr. White, in offering condolences to Mr. Castro's family at yesterday's proceedings, said: "This was a promising young man who had achieved a substantial amount in a very short time. It is clear that he had a lot of promise and unfortunately now that promise will go unfulfilled.''