Four family members die after sea incident near Shoreham Fort

A Palestinian-British family of four died after getting into difficulty in the sea off the West Sussex coast. Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter Sara El-Khawas were pronounced dead at the scene on Tuesday afternoon near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea. Their younger daughter, six-year-old Saja El-Khawas, was pulled from the water in a critical condition and died in hospital on Friday, according to reports from Al Jazeera, the BBC, The Guardian and The Sun.

Emergency services including police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat responded after reports of people in difficulty in the water. Four people were brought ashore. Chief Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police said officers supported the Coastguard and RNLI as the family members were recovered. Multiple outlets, including the Daily Express, Kent Online and The Times of India, reported that emergency services were called in the early afternoon, with Collis stating the call came at around 2.40pm. Some reports, including from LBC, placed the call closer to 3pm.

The family had travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham and entered the water from the beach at Shoreham Fort around 2pm, according to Sussex Police statements carried by the BBC, Daily Express, Kentlive and The Guardian. Police said the investigation remains open, but after reviewing CCTV footage and initial witness accounts the current hypothesis is that the incident was a tragic accident with no third-party involvement. Sources cited by Kent Online and LBC said there is currently no evidence to suggest a fishing net was involved, though some witnesses had speculated about that possibility.

Family background and origins

The father was identified by the Palestinian embassy in London as a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in southern Lebanon. Outlets including Al Jazeera, the Evening Chronicle, Daily Record, Evening Standard and The National reported his name variously as Hossam Al-Khawas or Hassan El-Khawas. The family were British citizens of Palestinian origin and active members of the British-Palestinian community, according to The National and The Sun. Rashidieh Camp, one of the most populous Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon, has an older section built by the French government in 1936 and a newer part established by the UN agency for Palestine refugees in 1963, as noted in reports from Kent Online and The National.

The Palestinian embassy said it was closely monitoring the incident and making contact with British authorities. An embassy spokesman told the Daily Mirror the wider family was in a very difficult situation. The National reported that next of kin had been informed and that a postmortem examination would be required before burial.

Community mourning and tributes

A vigil was held at Kingston Beach, the site of the incident, alongside a one-minute silence in Shoreham town centre. The BBC and The Sun reported that Reverend Pat Alden told those gathered that Shoreham is a close-knit community that comes together in times of tragedy. Tom Rutland, the local MP, attended and said the whole town was heartbroken, particularly after Saja’s death, according to the BBC.

The Palestinian Forum in Britain issued a tribute mourning the family and calling for prayers for the surviving child before Saja’s death was confirmed. Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the forum, told the Daily Mirror that the father had rushed into the water to help one of his daughters and that the mother then entered the water to try to save them as conditions worsened. Sara’s school in west London described her as a sweet girl who was well-liked by staff and students and would be greatly missed, according to The Sun and The Guardian.

Local residents quoted by the Evening Standard and Kent Online spoke of shock at the loss and noted the steep shelf near the harbour where the seabed drops away quickly. Floral tributes were left near the beach and RNLI station.

Official responses

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the events as a terrible family tragedy and warned of the dangers of open water swimming. In comments reported across Al Jazeera, the Evening Chronicle, Daily Record, Evening Standard and The Times of India, he noted that cold water can shock people even when the air feels hot and praised the emergency services for their rapid response. Burnham sent his best wishes to the family’s friends and relatives.

Chief Superintendent James Collis said the events of Tuesday afternoon devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community. After Saja’s death he described the update as one that all had feared, extending condolences on behalf of Sussex Police and noting the lasting effect on the community and emergency responders. Al Jazeera also noted that drownings had increased across Europe during the recent heatwave, with incidents reported in France, Germany and the UK, and that experts had highlighted risks such as cold-water shock, strong currents and sudden changes in depth.

Sussex Police said a file would be prepared for the coroner ahead of an inquest. The family’s next of kin continue to receive support from specialist officers.