Six-year-old girl dies in hospital after Shoreham drowning incident claimed three family members

Incident at Shoreham beach

On Tuesday afternoon, emergency services were dispatched to the coast at Shoreham in West Sussex after four members of a family got into difficulty in the sea. The family had travelled from their home in London to visit the beach near Shoreham Fort around 14:00. The first distress call reached emergency responders at approximately 14:40, initiating a wide rescue operation along the shoreline. Resuscitation efforts on the beach were unsuccessful for three family members, while a fourth, six-year-old Saja El-Khawas, was pulled from the water in critical condition and transferred to hospital under the care of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. On Friday, Sussex Police confirmed that Saja also died in hospital, bringing the total death toll from the incident to four.

Victim identities and background

The victims were identified as 55-year-old Hassan El-Khawas, his 37-year-old wife Zeina Alayn, and their two daughters, 14-year-old Sara El-Khawas and six-year-old Saja El-Khawas. According to statements from the Palestinian embassy, Hassan El-Khawas had arrived in the United Kingdom as a refugee and previously lived in the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, one of the most populous Palestinian refugee settlements in the country. The Palestinian-British family was residing in London prior to their day trip to the Sussex coast. Saja's identity and death were formally confirmed through legal notices issued on behalf of the hospital trust and the Palestinian Forum in Britain.

Police findings and investigation

Sussex Police launched an investigation into the circumstances of the drowning, reviewing closed-circuit television recordings and interviewing witnesses who were present on the beach. Officials stated that their primary working theory is that the incident was an accident with no third-party involvement. Investigators determined that all four family members had entered the sea from land to swim before encountering difficulties in the water. Local police chief James Collis addressed the outcome in an official statement.

This heartbreaking news is what we all feared following Tuesday's tragic events. The impact of this tragedy has been felt across the country, and I know that the Shoreham community, emergency services, and everyone involved will continue to be affected for a long time.

Authorities confirmed that a file is being prepared for the coroner ahead of a judicial inquest.

Community response and broader conditions

The deaths prompted public condolences from political leaders and community organizations. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the events affecting the El-Khawas family as a terrible family tragedy. On Thursday, the Palestinian Forum in Britain organized a gathering to commemorate the four victims. The family had travelled to Shoreham during a nationwide heatwave that led many residents to coastal areas. Similar drowning incidents occurred across Europe during the high summer temperatures, with authorities in France and Germany also recording water-related fatalities.