by Bess Browning

Heartbroken parents who found their teenage son dead on Herne Bay beach have described him as a "vibrant, principled and warm-hearted young man with the world at his feet".

Eugene Williams, 18, was discovered by his mum, Miranda, and dad, Andy, after they went searching for him when he failed to return home from a night out with friends.

He had drowned on the same Hampton sands where he once played as a child, just a stone's throw from the family home in Ridgeway Cliff.

On the night of his death Kent was hit by Storm Dennis, which brought with it torrential rain and gale-force winds.

Now, his parents, and Eugene’s twin sister Izzy, have told how the charismatic and popular teenager was only just stepping foot into adulthood when his life was tragically cut short.

Andy, 56, said: "Eugene was always so people-orientated, always supporting his friends and giving them advice.

"He was the one people gravitated to, the life and soul of the party but without a touch of arrogance.

"People liked him because of his big heart, his varied interests and his strong social and political conscience."

A former Reculver Primary School pupil, Eugene went on to study at Herne Bay High School.

Not only a bright spark in the classroom, he was musically gifted too, learning the guitar from a young age and once even playing a fundraising gig for the Children's Society charity aged just eight.

His passion for music continued into his teenage years when he adopted an eclectic taste which ranged from Oasis and AC-DC to rap artist Rapping’ 4-Tay.

Outside of school, he played football for Herne Bay Juniors and had been an active member of the Scouts and Cubs as a child, throwing himself into every sociable opportunity that came his way.

While he was proud of Izzy starting her degree in sociology at Manchester University, Eugene was content to stay in his home town, where he had a close circle of friends, and had started an apprenticeship at Aldi.

Eugene relished chatting to customers and meeting new people and was overjoyed when his vibrant personality earned him a new opportunity at Kent County Council.

He started working in the council’s specialist educational needs assessment team in December 2019, a role he was already succeeding in and one that would have undoubtedly been the start of a flourishing career.

As twins, Eugene and Izzy shared a unique bond and always stayed in touch, even when Izzy was miles away at university. But it wasn’t just the siblings who were close.

The family of four – the twins and Miranda, 50, a special needs teacher, and Andy, who works in the emergency department at Margate's QEQM Hospital – shared many memorable times together, from exploring Camden Market in London to walks through Blean Woods and days on the beach.

As a youngster, Eugene went to many Wolverhampton FC games with his dad, and would proudly wear his Wolves shirt despite being teased by his peers who supported Manchester United and Chelsea.

Eugene's parents say before he went out the night before his death, he wrapped them in one of his usual bear hugs, a symbol of the loving and gentle man he was, but a bittersweet memory they will now cherish forever.

Sadly, he didn’t come home that night.

Police, fire crews and the coastguard were among the emergency crews sent to Hampton when his body was discovered shortly after midday on February 15.

An inquest into the tragedy was opened yesterday in Maidstone, with the cause of Eugene's death given as "drowning".

The circumstances of that fateful night and how he came to be on the beach will be examined when the inquest reopens on June 9.

Speaking after the hearing, Andy said: "We have been touched by the love and support from our friends, from Eugene’s friends and from our neighbours.

"Though the pain of losing Eugene is still raw, this has been a great comfort to us all."

Eugene’s funeral took place at Barham Crematorium, where his friends, neighbours, school teachers, colleagues past and present, crammed into the aisles and out of the doors.

The sheer number of people who attended was testament to the young man Eugene was.

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