Family Tragedy Off Sussex Coast: Father, Mother and Teenage Daughter Named After Four Were Pulled From Water

A father, mother and their teenage daughter who died after getting into difficulty in the water off Shoreham-by-Sea on Tuesday have been identified.

Sussex Police named the victims as Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter, Sara El-Khawas.

A younger girl from the same family was also pulled from the water and remains in hospital in a critical condition. Her identity has not been released.

The Palestinian Embassy in London said El-Khawas was a British man of Palestinian descent.

Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat were all called to Shoreham-by-Sea after reports that four people had encountered difficulties in the water.

The exact circumstances remain under investigation. Sussex Police said it could not confirm reports that Sara had become caught in a fishing net.

However, after reviewing CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses, officers said their current working theory was that the incident was a tragic accident, with no indication of third-party involvement.

Adnan Hmidan, chair of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, said the family had encountered strong currents while in the water. According to information available to the organisation, Sara became caught in a fishing net and her father entered the water in an attempt to free her.

As conditions worsened, Hmidan said Zeina also went into the water to help, followed by their younger daughter.

Two other children from the family were reportedly being cared for by their paternal uncle.

Hmidan described the family as British citizens of Palestinian origin with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. He said members of their wider family had lived in Britain for many years and formed part of a close-knit community.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire family,” he said, particularly the children facing what he described as an unimaginable loss. He also appealed for privacy and dignity for the grieving family.

The tragedy has left the local community in shock.

Joss Loader, chair of the Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association, described a profound sense of disbelief following the incident, particularly because the tragedy happened during the school holidays when the area had been busy with families enjoying the summer.

Shoreham Beach is a narrow stretch of land surrounded by the River Adur, the estuary and the sea. Loader said she understood the incident had taken place in the estuary.

She noted that swimming in the area is common, with many people considering it relatively safe.

But local residents have also warned about the dangers posed by currents.

Anna Peacock, 81, who lives near Kingston Beach across the water from Shoreham Fort, said emergency crews arrived quickly. She warned that people visiting the area may not realise how quickly currents can carry someone away.

The emergency response was extensive. Two air ambulance helicopters and a critical care team were sent to the scene, while Shoreham RNLI said its lifeboat was called out at around 3pm.

The incident has also renewed concerns about open-water safety during Britain’s unusually hot summer.

Andy Burnham described the deaths as a “terrible family tragedy” and urged people to remain aware of the risks associated with swimming in open water, even during periods of extreme heat.

He highlighted the dangers posed by cold water, changing conditions and currents, while also praising emergency responders who attended the scene.

The tragedy comes amid a series of water-related deaths across Britain during the summer. On Saturday, a 12-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in the River Lea near Hackney Marshes in north-east London. Earlier this year, a woman and her young child also died after encountering difficulties in the water in west London.

At Shoreham-by-Sea, flowers and handwritten messages have since been left on the beach in memory of the victims.

For the El-Khawas family, however, the focus now remains on the younger daughter who is critically ill in hospital — and on the devastating loss of three members of the same family in a tragedy police continue to investigate.