Couple and teenage daughter who died in water off Shoreham named by police

Three members of the aforesaid household who died aft getting into trouble successful the oversea disconnected Shoreham person been named by police.

Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old girl Sara El-Khawas are thought to person gone into the h2o adjacent Shoreham Fort connected Tuesday, Sussex Police said.

A younger miss from the aforesaid family, who was pulled from the h2o with them, remains successful infirmary successful a captious condition.

Police said the household had travelled from their London location to sojourn Shoreham and aft reviewing CCTV footage investigators accidental they judge the deaths were a tragic mishap with nary third-party involvement.

The Palestinian Forum said the household were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with roots successful the Rashidieh exile campy successful Lebanon. Earlier, the Palestinian embassy successful London told the BBC that Hassan El-Khawas had been a refugee.

Adnan Hmidan, president of the Palestinian Forum successful Britain, said the assemblage was "deeply shocked and saddened" by what had happened.

He said two different children were connected the enactment astatine the clip of the incident.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the full family, peculiarly the children, who are facing an unimaginable loss," helium said.

The Palestinian Embassy successful London said it was intimately monitoring the incidental and contacting British authorities to found the circumstances and cheque connected the information of the miss successful hospital.

A connection issued by the embassy sent condolences to the household and the UK's Palestinian assemblage and wished the miss a speedy recovery.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham warned of the dangers of unfastened h2o swimming aft the incident, which helium described arsenic "a unspeakable household tragedy".

"The happening I tin accidental contiguous – and determination is still, I think, a further heatwave to travel successful this summertime play – it is conscionable to punctual radical astir the dangers of unfastened h2o swimming," helium said.

"The coldness, adjacent erstwhile it feels blistery outside, it tin daze radical and that tin origin the difficulties. So radical conscionable request to retrieve that astatine each times.

"I bash request to praise the exigency services who I cognize were connected country precise rapidly yesterday. They've had a engaged summertime but they were determination and we convey them."

Ch Supt James Collis, of Sussex Police, said: "The events of Tuesday day are a heartbreaking calamity which has devastated a household and their friends and had a profound interaction connected the Shoreham community."

Emergency services were called soon earlier 15:00 BST connected Tuesday to reports of 4 radical successful occupation successful the h2o adjacent Shoreham.

Coastguard crews, RNLI lifeboats, aerial ambulances, constabulary officers and ambulance teams were progressive successful the response.

After learning that 3 radical successful the aforesaid household had died, section store proprietor Neha Patel said she was "still shaking" astatine what had happened.

"I deliberation it's a daze to everyone astir here," she said. "I anticipation the 1 miss successful the infirmary gets better."

Throughout the time radical laid floral tributes adjacent the formation wherever the calamity unfolded.

Friends Liz Donnelly and Lee Smith, who were among them, described the family's deaths arsenic "a existent daze to specified a tiny town".

Smith said: "Our kids were present the nighttime before. It makes you realise however thankful we are that it wasn't 1 of them, but astatine the aforesaid clip the sadness of different household that are present going to spell done this."

The Good Shepherd church, adjacent to the beach, opened its doors for reflection and prayer.

The Rev Jane Bartlett, subordinate vicar, said the religion wanted to enactment the assemblage "in immoderate mode we can".

Adur District Council chair, Julia Watts, said: "We evidently don't cognize the circumstances of however they got into trouble but the oversea volition ne'er beryllium wholly safe.

"Many of america aquatics each time upwind permitting and for radical to suffer their lives connected a lukewarm time successful August seems unfathomable."

Robina Baine, besides an Adur councillor for the Southwick Green ward wherever the RNLI lifeboat presumption is, said: "I person been present for 46 years and this is the astir tragic incidental determination has been."

Police inquiries are continuing and a record is being prepared for the coroner.

The deaths are among a fig of fatal incidents connected the seashore successful caller months, including respective successful Sussex.

In May, 3 sisters, Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, died successful the oversea disconnected Brighton, successful what constabulary described arsenic a "tragic incident".

In July, 2 men were pulled from the oversea astatine West Wittering, and 1 of the men was confirmed dormant astatine the scene, portion the different was taken to hospital.

This month, an 18-year-old antheral died aft getting into trouble successful the oversea astatine Camber Sands. He had travelled to the seashore from London with friends.

In Essex, Shelina Rahman, 41, and her 15-year-old girl Sameeha Rahman, died aft getting into trouble successful the h2o connected the Essex coast astatine West Mersea, wherever they were trying to assistance a seven-year-old boy.

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