The much-loved teenage son of Australian rock star Nick Cave fell from a cliff to his death in southern England after taking the hallucinogenic drug LSD.
News Ltd reports on the harrowing inquest into the death of Arthur Cave, who was just 15 when he died.
The inquest heard that Arthur – who has a twin brother Earl – climbed over a safety fence and staggered toward the cliff edge in Brighton, East Sussex, in July, before plunging to his death. Paramedics were delayed for 20 minutes because a gate on the rural road to the site was locked.
Nick Cave, 58, and Arthur’s mum, Susie Bick, attended the inquest, which heard that Arthur and a teenage friend researched the side effects of LSD on the internet before “sharing three tabs of LSD on the afternoon of his death.”
The other boy has not been identified but his statement was presented to the inquest by Detective Constable Vicky Loft.
“Arthur was hesitant but said if they were worrying about things it would have an effect on the trip and make it a more negative experience,” his statement said.
They took a tablet each, “placed it on their tongue and waited for the effects to start.”
The unidentified friend said he and Arthur were initially in “good spirits and happy”.
“The pair was walking home when the hallucinogenic effect kicked in,” the report says.
“The pair was separated, with Cave later seen walking in a zig-zag motion, holding his trousers up, across a grassy verge toward the white cliffs.
“The friend said he then started having “vivid hallucinations”, including seeing patches of oil on the grass and shapes and colours in the sky.
The boy “couldn’t determine what was real and what was not real. He thought he could see Arthur covered in vomit but wasn’t tell sure if it was real.”
Witnesses said Arthur “climbed a fence and was staring out to sea before he fell the 20m.
“Some motorists jumped out of their cars in traffic as he staggered toward the fence in what some suspected was caused by alcohol or drugs, before he toppled over.”
One woman, who was stuck in traffic at the base of the cliff, said it was like watching somebody in slow motion.
The death was ruled accidental.
