"Together we will rebuild our lives and move on."

Those were Pauline Nolan's emotional words after an inquest recorded an open verdict into the death of her 14-year-old son Daniel who disappeared on a night-time fishing trip nearly five years ago.

The tearful mum said she was happy with the outcome despite so many questions that she says remain about what happened, saying: "I think it was the only possible verdict. Nobody knows what happened to him."

The inquest was told how Daniel and his three pals - Daniel Redman, George Puckett and Hugh Evans - had gone on a fishing trip on the pontoon at Hamble at around 8pm on New Year's Day 2002. During the course of the evening they shared a litre bottle of vodka.

The group later dispersed and Daniel was last seen by the Victory House in the High Street, by Daniel Redman.

"I believed that Daniel was returning to the pontoon to collect his equipment.

"He said to me 'could you help me with my stuff' and I said 'not really because I have got all of Hugh's stuff' and he seemed to agree with that and make his way back to the pontoon."

In a statement George said Daniel did not appear to be drunk.

It was at around 11.45pm that Daniel, who was an experienced swimmer, was left in the vicinity of the pontoon alone.

Detective Supt David Williams, senior investigating officer, said the teenager had been due to return at 2am the following morning after fishing at high tide.

Giving evidence Mrs Nolan said that Daniel, who had won a bursary to Southampton's King Edward VI School, had always let her know he was back "safe and sound."

She told the inquest how when he failed to return she had a feeling "something was wrong'. After calling his friends, she went to the pontoon and found her son's fishing equipment and gloves and called 999.

In a statement read out to the court, Daniel's father Greg said that while the pontoon was slippy, there was no marks to indicate anyone had slipped.

Forensic pathologist Dr Allen Anscombe told how he examined a left foot that was found in May 2003 at a beach at Chapman's Pool in Dorset.

He said that X-rays showed that the bone in the foot belonged to a 15-year-old male and DNA profiles strongly matched those taken from Daniel's parents.

The inquest was also told that other bones, including a hip bone, washed up on Warsash foreshore in February and March 2003 were found to be those of a male aged 14 to 16.

Although DNA tests showed no match with Daniel coroner Grahame Short said he was satisfied they were those of Daniel.

Mr Short said that on the balance of probability he believed Daniel returned to the pontoon where he slipped and fell into the water.

"The pontoon was icy, he was intoxicated and it would be very easy to slip in those circumstances," he said.

It is believed that Daniel's body became entangled in the moorings at Hamble Point marina and lay undisturbed until dredging of the Hamble River took place in February 2003.

It is thought that the rest of his body lies somewhere under the Solent.

7:12am Thursday 9th November 2006

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