A teenager sent heartbreaking text messages to his parents and best friend before throwing himself off a bridge, an inquest heard.
On the morning of his death, Christopher Castledine had sent messages telling them he loved them and that he was "so sorry".
The 18-year-old then jumped off Humber Bridge, the Hull Daily Mail reports.
His grieving dad has since paid tribute to his son who took his own life on September 21 last year.
Christopher's body was recovered nine days later by coastguard volunteers on Hessle Foreshore.
The teenager, who lived with his family in Cherry Burton, near Beverley, had just secured a place at the University of Hull to study criminology.
Christopher, who had no diagnosed mental health conditions, sent heartbreaking text messages to his parents and his best friend before his death.
Mr Castledine said Christopher’s death had left an “enormous hole” in his family’s lives. He was distraught that their younger daughter no longer has a brother to look up to.
Paying tribute, he said: “Chris’ death is so hard for us to come to terms with, especially as we were getting glimpses of the hard-working young man he would become.
“We wish we could have seen the young man Chris would have become. The boy was becoming a man and now we will never know what his life will have been.
“He could have been so successful and happy and now he never will be and that is the hardest thing to take.”
Christopher’s dad told Hull Coroner's Court during an inquest into his son’s death that the teenager was not “acknowledging” him or his mum on the afternoon of his death.
However, he ultimately believed there was no cause for concern until Christopher later sent him a text expressing his unconditional love for both of them.
Mr Castledine said: “Chris came downstairs and didn’t acknowledge his mum or I.
“His mum asked if he was alright but got no response from him. He seemed fixed and focused but didn’t say anything.
“He went into his car and drove off – that is the last time I saw Chris.
“At 1.59pm, he sent me a text saying, ‘I love you and mum so much and I’m so, so sorry'.”
The 51-year-old tried to call Christopher numerous times before driving to the Humber Bridge.
Police officers were already there along with a search helicopter but Christopher was nowhere to be found.
His body washed up on the north bank of the Humber on September 30 with a pathologist concluding that Christopher died as a result of drowning.
Christopher had a number of friends from his time at Longcroft School in Beverley and through his job at the Light Dragoon pub in Etton.
However, he turned to his closest friend minutes before jumping from the bridge.
Christopher messaged him thanking him for being his “best friend” and urged him to “look after his family.”
Christopher's best friend traced the teenager's location to the Humber Bridge through the map facility on Snapchat and tried calling him but there was no answer.
He then informed Christopher's family about his location.
Christopher's friend said: “The death of my best friend can’t be explained in words.
“I had no concerns about him until the message on Thursday.
“Although this is not fact, my own feeling was that something upset him massively for him to jump to his death off the Humber Bridge.”
After summarising the “harrowing” evidence presented to him at Thursday’s inquest, Professor Paul Marks concluded that Christopher had committed suicide.
He said: “It will never be known why Chris did what he did but it is clear to me he intended his actions to result in his death.
“Sadly he didn’t confide in family and friends about what was troubling him so greatly so he concluded the only option was to take his own life.”
Speaking directly to Christopher’s parents at the end of the inquest, Professor Marks offered his deepest condolences to them.
He said: “It has been harrowing listening to this evidence and I would like to extend my condolences to you and Chris’ family and friends at this sad loss.”
- If you’re struggling to cope with mental health issues, there are ways you can access help. Samaritans (116 123) operates a 24-hour service available every day of the year. If you prefer to write down how you’re feeling, or if you’re worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans at jo@samaritans.org