Family named after three die in sea off Shoreham

Three Members of One Family Killed in Shoreham Sea Incident

Ninoda.com – Sussex Police have identified the three people who lost their lives after entering the water near Shoreham Fort on Tuesday afternoon. Hassan El-Khawas, aged 55, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their daughter Sara El-Khawas, 14, are believed to have gone into the sea before getting into difficulty. A younger girl from the same household, who was also pulled from the water, remains in hospital in critical condition.

The family had driven from their London home to visit the Shoreham area. After examining CCTV recordings, investigators concluded the deaths were a tragic accident with no involvement of any third party. Police inquiries are ongoing and a file has been opened.

Family Background and Community Response

The Palestinian Forum confirmed the family were British citizens of Palestinian origin, tracing their roots to the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. The Palestinian embassy in London separately told the BBC that Hassan El-Khawas had been a refugee.

Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, described the community as “deeply shocked and saddened” by the events. He noted that two other children from the family were on the shore when the incident occurred.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family, particularly the children, who are facing an unimaginable loss.”

The embassy stated it was closely monitoring the situation, liaising with British authorities to establish the circumstances and check on the hospitalized girl. A statement sent condolences to the family and to the UK’s Palestinian community, wishing the child a speedy recovery.

Emergency Response

Services were called shortly before 15:00 BST on Tuesday following reports of four people in trouble in the water near Shoreham. Coastguard crews, RNLI lifeboats, air ambulances, police officers, and ambulance teams all took part in the response.

Official Reactions

Prime Minister Andy Burnham labelled the event “a terrible family tragedy” and used the moment to warn the public about the risks of open-water swimming.

“The thing I can say today – and there is still, I think, a further heatwave to come in this summer period – it is just to remind people about the dangers of open water swimming.”

“The coldness, even when it feels hot outside, it can shock people and that can cause the difficulties. So people just need to remember that at all times.”

“I do need to praise the emergency services who I know were on scene very quickly yesterday. They’ve had a busy summer but they were there and we thank them.”

Ch Supt James Collis of Sussex Police called the events of Tuesday afternoon “a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community.”

Tributes and Local Impact

Floral tributes were laid on the beach near the Shoreham RNLI station throughout the day. Local shop owner Neha Patel said she was “still shaking” after learning of the deaths.

“I think it’s a shock to everyone around here. I hope the one girl in the hospital gets better.”

Friends Liz Donnelly and Lee Smith, who were among those laying flowers, called the deaths “a real shock to such a small town.”

“Our kids were here the night before. It makes you realise how thankful we are that it wasn’t one of them, but at the same time the sadness of another family that are now going to go through this.”

The Good Shepherd church, situated close to the beach, opened its doors for reflection and prayer. Associate vicar Rev Jane Bartlett said the congregation wanted to support the community “in whatever way we can.”

Julia Watts, chair of Adur District Council, reflected on the event:

“We obviously don’t know the circumstances of how they got into difficulty but the sea will never be completely safe. Many of us swim every day weather permitting and for people to lose their lives on a warm day in August seems unfathomable.”

Robina Baine, an Adur councillor representing the Southwick Green ward where the RNLI lifeboat station is based, added: “I have been here for 46 years and this is the most tragic incident there has been.”