Three family members who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off the coast of West Sussex have been named by police. Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, their 14-year-old daughter Sara El-Khawas, and another daughter who has not been named are thought to have gone into the water to swim near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea on Tuesday afternoon (18 August).
Emergency response and investigation
HM Coastguard, the RNLI and South East Coast Ambulance Service and police were called to the scene, and the four family members were pulled from the water. The surviving child remains in hospital in a critical condition. It is understood the family travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham, officers said.
Sussex Police said its investigation remains open, but following a review of CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, the current hypothesis is that the incident was a tragic accident. They added that they don't believe there was any third-party involvement.
Chief superintendent's statement
Chief Superintendent James Collis said: "The events of Tuesday afternoon are a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community."
"The thoughts of all at Sussex Police remain with the family’s loved ones as we work with our partners, including HM Coroner, to understand exactly how this incident occurred," he continued. "The emergency response was significant, and I would like to thank all of the first responders for their determined attempts to save all four people, as well as the wider public for their patience during the incident."
Mr Collis added: "We will release further updates as soon as we are able, but we ask the family are given the privacy they deserve at this incredibly difficult time."
Palestinian refugee background
The Palestinian Embassy in London confirmed to the BBC that Mr El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon - one of the most populous Palestinian refugee camps in the country. In a statement on Facebook, the embassy said it was "closely monitoring the incident".
Andy Burnham has sent his sympathies to the El-Khawas family, describing the incident as a "real terrible family tragedy".
Prime Minister's response
Asked during a visit to the North East if the Government needed to do more to tackle water safety following the events at Shoreham on Tuesday, the Prime Minister replied: "Always. It’s so sad to hear what happened yesterday, and obviously we think there’s a young girl still in the hospital fighting for her life, and we send our best wishes and love to wider friends and family. But a real tragedy, a real terrible family tragedy."
"Always, there’s more that can be done," he added. "Obviously, we will look in detail at what happened."
"The thing I can say today, and there is still, I think, a further heatwave to come in this summer period, it is just to remind people about the dangers of open water swimming. The coldness, even in when it feels hot outside, it can shock people, and that can cause the the difficulties. So people just need to remember that at all times."
The former Mayor of Greater Manchester continued: "I do need to praise the emergency services, who I know were on scene very quickly yesterday. They’ve had a busy summer, but they were there, and we thank them. As I say, just huge sympathy to the friends and the family."
