Saja El-Khawas, six, has died in hospital days after being pulled from the sea at Shoreham, meaning all four members of her family who entered the water off the Sussex coast have now lost their lives, Sussex Police have confirmed.
A six-year-old girl who had been fighting for her life after being pulled from the sea off the Sussex coast has died, meaning all four members of her family who entered the water have now lost their lives. Saja El-Khawas had been in a critical condition since being rescued from the water at Shoreham on Tuesday. Her 14-year-old sister, Sara el Khawas, died alongside their parents, Hassan el Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, during what had been a family trip to West Sussex.
Who the family were
The Palestinian embassy confirmed that Hassan el Khawas was a Palestinian refugee originally from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. According to the Palestinian Forum in Britain, the family were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp. The family had travelled from London to visit Shoreham, entering the water from the beach near Shoreham Fort.
Two other children from the wider family are reported to be in the care of their paternal uncle following the tragedy.
What police have said
Sussex Police said the incident remains under investigation, but its current assessment is that it was a tragic accident with no third-party involvement. The tragedy occurred in an area where local residents have previously warned of strong currents and riptides.
The emergency response
Emergency services involved in the rescue effort included Shoreham RNLI, HM Coastguard, ambulance crews and two air ambulances. Despite the scale of the response, all four family members who entered the water that day have now died, following Saja’s death in hospital.
Community tributes
Floral tributes have been left at the beach in Shoreham following the deaths, as the local community continues to come to terms with the scale of the tragedy that has struck the family.
