Family named after three die in sea off Shoreham

Three members of one family killed in sea near Shoreham Fort

Constantvpn.com – A family of British citizens with Palestinian heritage lost three of its members when they went into difficulty in the sea off the Sussex coast on Tuesday afternoon. Hassan El-Khawas, aged 55, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their daughter Sara, 14, were confirmed dead after being pulled from the water near Shoreham Fort. A younger girl from the same household, also retrieved from the sea, remains in hospital in critical condition.

Sussex Police said the group had travelled from their home in London to visit the Shoreham area. After reviewing CCTV footage from the vicinity, investigators concluded the deaths were a tragic accident with no involvement of any third party. The family had been in the water when they got into trouble, and emergency crews were dispatched shortly before 15:00 BST on Tuesday following reports of four people in distress.

Emergency response and investigation

The scale of the rescue operation was substantial. Coastguard crews, RNLI lifeboats, air ambulance teams, police officers, and ground ambulance units all converged on the scene. Despite the combined effort, three lives could not be saved. Police inquiries remain ongoing, and a formal file has been opened to establish the full circumstances of what happened in the water.

Chief Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police described the events as a devastating blow to the Shoreham community.

“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 family’s background

The Palestinian Forum in Britain confirmed that the deceased were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with ancestral roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. The Palestinian Embassy in London told the BBC that Hassan El-Khawas had been a refugee before settling in the UK.

Adnan Hmidan, chairman of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, said the wider community was reeling from the news. He noted that two other children from the family had been on the shore at the time of the incident.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family, particularly the children, who are facing an unimaginable loss.”

The embassy said it was closely monitoring the situation, liaising with British authorities to establish the circumstances and to check on the condition of the girl in hospital. A statement issued by the embassy extended condolences to the family and to the UK’s Palestinian community, and wished the injured child a speedy recovery.

Prime Minister warns of open-water dangers

Prime Minister Andy Burnham reacted to the deaths by describing them as “a terrible family tragedy” and used the moment to issue a pointed warning about swimming in open water, particularly during the summer heatwave.

“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 when it feels hot outside, it can shock people and that can cause the difficulties. So people just need to remember that at all times.”

Burnham also praised the speed of the emergency response, acknowledging that services had been stretched thin over a busy summer but were nonetheless on scene quickly.

“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.”

The warning carries particular weight given that Shoreham’s coastline, while popular with swimmers and families on warm August days, is an open sea environment with no lifeguard coverage. Sudden temperature shock, hidden currents, and the absence of shallow-water zones make casual entry into the sea far riskier than it appears from the beach.

Community shaken

For a small coastal town, the scale of the loss was almost incomprehensible. Floral tributes began appearing on the sand near the Shoreham RNLI station within hours of the incident, and throughout the following day more people came to lay flowers at the site.

Neha Patel, who runs a local shop in the area, said she was still physically shaken when speaking to reporters.

“I think it’s a shock to everyone around here. I hope the one girl in the hospital gets better.”

Two friends, Liz Donnelly and Lee Smith, were among those who placed flowers near the beach. They described the deaths as a jolt to a community that knows one another intimately.

“Our kids were here the night before. It makes you realise how thankful we are that it wasn’t one of them, but at the same time the sadness of another family that are now going to go through this.”

Local institutions respond

The Good Shepherd church, situated close to the beach where the tragedy unfolded, opened its doors for quiet reflection and prayer. Associate vicar Rev Jane Bartlett said the congregation wanted to stand alongside the community in whatever capacity was needed.

“The church wanted to support the community in whatever way we can.”

Julia Watts, chair of Adur District Council, offered a measured reflection on the fragility of coastal waters.

“We obviously don’t know the circumstances of how they got into difficulty but the sea will never be completely safe. Many of us swim every day weather permitting and for people to lose their lives on a warm day in August seems unfathomable.”

Robina Baine, an Adur councillor representing the Southwick Green ward where the RNLI lifeboat station is based, said in 46 years of living in the area she had never witnessed anything so devastating.

“I have been here for 46 years and this is the most tragic incident there has been.”

Police have not yet announced the outcome of their continuing inquiry. The condition of the younger girl in hospital has not been updated beyond the initial report of critical status.