A girl is fighting for her life in hospital after three of her family members died following an incident in the sea off West Sussex.
Emergency services responded to reports of four people in difficulty in the water near Shoreham Fort at around 2.40pm on Tuesday, Sussex Police said. It is believed the four family members went into the water for a swim.
Police confirmed on Tuesday night that a man, a woman and a teenage girl had died, while a younger girl from the family remains in a critical condition in hospital. Officers have not named the victims but said their next of kin had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers.
Emergency response and police statement
Chief Superintendent James Collis said: "At around 2.40pm this afternoon, emergency services were called to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort.
"Sussex Police officers supported His Majesty's Coastguard and the RNLI, as all four people were brought ashore.
"Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people – a man, woman and teenage girl – have sadly been confirmed deceased.
"A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in a critical condition."
Several ambulances, two air ambulances, an HM Coastguard helicopter and rescue teams from Littlehampton, Newhaven and Shoreham, as well as the RNLI lifeboat, were at the scene. Police said the coastguard has searched the water and is not looking for anyone else.
Local accounts and concerns
A resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Telegraph: "I heard from friends in the coastguard that it was a family who had been living in tents by the harbour front.
"They were camping just between the harbour arm and the fort. They have been there for a couple weeks, I've walked my dog past them. People don't usually camp there."
Alan Facer, a fisherman from Hove, told the newspaper: "The wind earlier was south-westerly so usually the waves pick up quite a bit.
"At 3pm, the tide would have been quite high.
"I was thinking the other day that someone is going to get hurt around here."
Joss Loader, who lives nearby and represents Shoreham Beach Residents' Association on Adur District Council, told the Press Association: "There's just a really strong sense of shock, obviously people are really concerned for the young girl.
"A small tightly knight community with a very deep sense of shock and that sense of disbelief you get after a tragedy because it has come out of nowhere."
Ms Loader said she understood the "tragic events" happened in the estuary. "It's school holidays and we have had a wonderful summer so the beaches have been packed with families," she said. "The weather was quite calm, not as hot as recent days but it was a perfectly normal day. People swim from those beaches even in the winter, generally it is considered as safe as the sea can be. You wouldn't be swimming there and think you were taking a risk."
Anna Peacock, 81, who lives near Kingston Beach across the water from Shoreham Fort, told PA: "It was terribly sad to know that just across the road people have lost their lives.
"People come down to swim, particularly in the summertime and I don't think they realise there's a riptide along here.
"It's very inviting to come to the sea, but the tide could carry you out in seconds, and I don't think people have realised that."
Community reaction and political response
A local resident who saw emergency services on the beach near Shoreham Fort on Tuesday afternoon said they heard siren after siren and that the incident was "sad and tragic". The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said "that is not the place to go swimming" near the arm, adding there is a big shelf shingle drop-off.
East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tom Rutland said the community in Shoreham "will be hoping and praying for the recovery of the young girl".
In a statement on Facebook, he wrote: "I am deeply saddened by the tragic news that three people have died following an incident in the water near Shoreham Fort this afternoon.
"My thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives, and I know the whole community here in Shoreham will be hoping and praying for the recovery of the young girl receiving medical treatment in hospital."
