A six-year-old girl has died in hospital after being pulled from the sea in West Sussex alongside three family members who also lost their lives, according to a law firm representing the hospital and the Palestinian Forum in Britain.
Saja El-Khawas, six, passed away on Friday, following the deaths of her sister Sara El-Khawas, 14, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, on Tuesday afternoon in Shoreham-by-Sea. Saja had remained in a critical condition in hospital since the incident.
Her identity and death were confirmed in a legal notice issued by solicitors acting on behalf of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, alongside the Palestinian Forum in Britain.
Family background and journey to Shoreham
The Palestinian embassy confirmed that Mr El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee originally from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. Rashidieh Camp is located on the Mediterranean coastline in southern Lebanon and is among the most heavily populated Palestinian refugee camps in the country.
The older part of the camp was founded by the French government in 1936 to accommodate Armenian refugees who had fled to Lebanon, while the newer section was built by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East in 1963 for Palestine refugees, according to the agency.
The family are understood to have made the journey from their London residence to Shoreham, going into the sea from the beach close to Shoreham Fort at approximately 2pm before encountering difficulties. The family are understood to have entered the water from the southern side of the 19th century Shoreham Fort, situated on the western edge of the harbour arm. Footage captured at the scene showed multiple emergency service teams conducting a search of the waters close to a harbour arm where the River Adur flows into the sea.
Police assessment and tributes
On Wednesday, Sussex Police announced their enquiries are ongoing, but after reviewing CCTV material and initial witness accounts, it is currently thought the deaths were a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement.
Chief Superintendent James Collis said: "This heartbreaking update is one we all feared in the aftermath of Tuesday's tragic events. I cannot imagine the devastation felt by the wider family of Hassan, Zeina, Sara and Saja after this loss. On behalf of everyone at Sussex Police, I extend our thoughts and heartfelt condolences. The impact of this tragedy has been felt across the country, and I know the Shoreham community, emergency responders and all involved will continue to be affected for a long time to come. I would like to thank all of the public who have shared their sympathies and kind words, and once again ask for the victims' family and loved ones to be left to grieve in privacy."
Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls published a tribute to Year 8 pupil Sara on Thursday after the "tragic incident" during the summer break on its website. The Ealing-based school said: "Sara was a sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students and she will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with her family, friends, and all those affected. This news will be deeply upsetting for many students, families and staff."
Community response and warnings
The Palestinian embassy released a statement via Facebook confirming it was "closely monitoring the incident".
Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, offered his tribute to the family, though his spelling of their surname differed from that used by Sussex Police. He said: "The Palestinian, Arab and wider community in Britain, along with the many friends and supporters of our community, have been deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic incident involving the Khawwas family during a day trip off the coast of Sussex."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned of the dangers of open water swimming after the incident, which he described as "a terrible family tragedy".
