Four Members Of London Family Die After Shoreham Water Tragedy

A six-year-old girl has sadly died after being pulled from the water off Shoreham earlier this week, bringing the number of family members who lost their lives in the tragedy to four.

Emergency services were called to the sea off Shoreham Fort at around 14:40 on Tuesday 18 August following reports of four people in difficulty in the water.

Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his wife Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter Sara El-Khawas all died at the scene.

Their six-year-old daughter, Saja El-Khawas, was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

Sussex Police has now confirmed that Saja has also died, despite the efforts of emergency and hospital staff.

The family, who lived in London, are understood to have travelled to Shoreham for a visit and entered the water from the beach at Shoreham Fort at around 14:00.

A major emergency service response followed, involving HM Coastguard, the RNLI, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Sussex Police.

Police say their investigation remains ongoing, but CCTV footage and initial witness accounts indicate the incident was a tragic accident, with no evidence of third-party involvement.

A file will be prepared for HM Coroner ahead of an inquest.

Chief Superintendent James Collis said the latest news was "one we all feared" following Tuesday's tragedy.

He said the force's thoughts and condolences were with the wider family of Hassan, Zeina, Sara and Saja, adding that the impact of the incident had been felt across the country and within the Shoreham community.

Police have thanked members of the public who have shared their sympathies and asked that the family's privacy is respected as they grieve.