A father who died alongside a woman and a teenage girl after entering the sea off the Sussex coast has been identified as Palestinian refugee Hossam Al-Khawas, the Palestinian embassy has confirmed.
Incident at Shoreham Fort
Mr Al-Khawas is believed to have entered the water to swim with three other family members near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, on Tuesday afternoon.
Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat attended the scene, where four people were pulled from the water.
Casualties and hospitalisation
Mr Al-Khawas, a woman and a teenage girl were pronounced dead. A young girl was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The father was from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. The Palestinian embassy said it was unable to confirm the names of the other family members.
Prime Minister's response
Following the incident, the Prime Minister warned of the dangers of open water swimming, describing it as “a terrible family tragedy”.
