The Palestinian embassy has confirmed that a father pulled from the water alongside three other family members in West Sussex on Tuesday was a Palestinian refugee named Hossam Al-Khawas.
Emergency response to Shoreham-by-Sea incident
Emergency services were called to the Shoreham-by-Sea coast on Tuesday afternoon following reports that a family was in difficulty in the water. Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat were deployed in the search and rescue mission before four people were pulled from the water.
Three bodies—a man, a woman and a teenage girl—were pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth victim, a younger girl, remains in critical condition in hospital.
Victim identified as Palestinian refugee
The father has since been named as Hossam Al-Khawas, a Palestinian refugee, the embassy confirmed. It is believed he entered the water with his family for a swim near Shoreham Fort before getting into difficulty.
The Palestinian embassy confirmed he was from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. It is unable to confirm the names of the other family members.
Prime Minister's warning on open water swimming
The Prime Minister warned of the dangers of open water swimming after the incident, which he described as “a terrible family tragedy”.
