A six-year-old girl has died in hospital just days after she was pulled from the sea in a tragedy that killed her mum, dad and sister. Saja El-Khawas was pulled from the sea in Shoreham alongside her relatives.
Her sister Sara El-Khawas, 14, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, were pronounced dead shortly after the incident on Tuesday. Saja had been in a critical condition in hospital since the incident.
But tragically it has been confirmed she passed away on Friday, just three days after the tragedy happened. Her identity and death were confirmed in a legal notice from solicitors acting on behalf of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the Palestinian Forum in Britain.
Family background and incident details
The Palestinian embassy said Mr El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. Rashidieh Camp is on the Mediterranean coast in southern Lebanon and is one of the most populous Palestinian refugee camps in the country.
The older part of the camp was built by the French government in 1936 to accommodate Armenian refugees who fled to Lebanon, while the newer part 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.
It is believed the family travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham and entered the water from the beach near Shoreham Fort at around 2pm before they got into difficulty.
Police statement and tributes
On Wednesday, Sussex Police said their investigation remains open, but after a review of CCTV footage 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 posted a tribute to Year 8 student Sara following the “tragic incident” during the summer holidays on its website on Thursday.
The school, in the London borough of Ealing, 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.”
In a statement on Facebook, the Palestinian embassy said it was “closely monitoring the incident”.
Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, paid tribute to the family, although his spelling of their name 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.”
Warnings and response
Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned of the dangers of open water swimming after the incident, which he described as “a terrible family tragedy”.
The family are believed to have entered the water from the south of the 19th century Shoreham Fort, on the west side of the harbour arm.
Video footage showed a number of emergency services searching an area of water near to an arm of the harbour where the River Adur meets the sea.
