A six-year-old girl has died in hospital after being pulled from the sea in a tragedy that has already claimed three members of her family.
Saja El-Khawas, 6, passed away on Friday, three days after her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, and her older sister Sara El-Khawas, 14, drowned at Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex on Tuesday afternoon. The family had travelled from their home in London to visit the coastal town, entering the water from the beach near Shoreham Fort at around 2pm before getting into difficulty.
Chief Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police addressed the devastating development in a statement. “This heartbreaking update is one we all feared in the aftermath of Tuesday’s tragic events,” he said. “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.”
Collis continued: “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.” He thanked members of the public who had shared sympathies and kind words, and repeated his request for the victims’ family and loved ones to be left to grieve in privacy.
Sussex Police said their investigation remains open, though after reviewing CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, the deaths are currently thought to have been a tragic accident. The force has not indicated any suspicious circumstances.
Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls, where Sara was a Year 8 student, posted a tribute on its website. “Sara was a sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students and she will be greatly missed,” the school wrote. “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.”
The Palestinian embassy confirmed that Hassan El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon, located on the Mediterranean coast in the country’s south and one of the most populous Palestinian refugee camps there. The Palestinian Forum in Britain stated that the extended family had lived in the UK for many years.
Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, issued a tribute to the family, though his spelling of their surname differed from that used by Sussex Police. “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,” he said.
In the viral moment that preceded this latest loss, emergency services had responded to reports of multiple people in difficulty in the water near Shoreham Fort on Tuesday afternoon. Three family members were pronounced dead at the scene or shortly after, while Saja was rushed to hospital in critical condition. She fought for her life for three days before succumbing to her injuries on Friday, leaving no survivors from the family unit that had entered the water together.
The tragedy has prompted renewed warnings about the dangers of open water swimming. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the incident as “a terrible family tragedy” and cautioned the public about swimming in uncontrolled coastal waters.
Sussex Police have asked anyone with information about the circumstances of the incident to come forward, while emphasising their focus on supporting the surviving relatives through their grief.