Shoreham sea tragedy, SOJWORLDNEWS
Shoreham sea tragedy — A six-year-old girl has died in hospital. She got into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham-by-Sea. Her death now brings the tragedy’s toll to four family members. Saja El-Khawas passed away on Friday. Days earlier, rescuers pulled her from the water alongside her mother, father, and older sister near Shoreham Fort in West Sussex.
According to a law firm representing the hospital and the Palestinian Forum in Britain, Saja had remained in a critical condition since Tuesday afternoon. Consequently, her death now brings the total number of family members lost to four. The Palestinian Embassy in London confirmed that her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, was a refugee. He originally came from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon.
Sussex Police say the family had travelled down from their home in London to visit Shoreham on Tuesday. They entered the water from the beach at Shoreham Fort at around 2pm. Shortly afterward, they got into difficulty. As a result, a large emergency response followed. HM Coastguard, the RNLI, South East Coast Ambulance Service, and police officers all attended the scene.
Tragically, rescuers pulled Hassan El-Khawas, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter, Sara El-Khawas, from the water, but paramedics confirmed all three dead at the scene. Meanwhile, Saja, the youngest of the family, went to hospital in a critical condition. Medical staff fought to save her life over the following days. Despite those efforts, she died on Friday.
Chief Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police described the incident in stark terms. He said,
“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.”
His comments reflect the scale of grief that has spread well beyond the family itself. The loss has touched an entire coastal community.
Furthermore, tributes have poured in for Sara. She attended the Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing, west London. In a statement on its website, the school remembered her fondly. Staff and fellow students, it said, liked her greatly. The head teacher, Rachel Kruger, also expressed deep sadness on behalf of the school community following the news of her passing.
Meanwhile, investigators say the current working theory points to a tragic accident. They do not suspect any third-party involvement. Officers reviewed CCTV footage and gathered witness accounts in the days following the incident. Nevertheless, the investigation into the exact circumstances remains open. Police continue examining how the family got into difficulty so quickly after entering the water.
In addition, the Palestinian Forum in Britain confirmed that the family held British citizenship. They also carried Palestinian heritage rooted in the Rashidieh refugee camp. Therefore, the tragedy has resonated deeply within both British and Palestinian communities. Many have left floral tributes near Kingston Beach in Shoreham since the incident occurred.
Deputy Chief Constable Paul Court, speaking on BBC Radio Sussex, called the incident “utterly, utterly tragic.” He also praised the swift response from Sussex Police and other emergency services. Even so, their efforts could not prevent what has become one of the deadliest family tragedies recorded on the Sussex coastline in recent years.
As the community continues to mourn, floral tributes keep arriving at the beach where the family entered the water. Sojworldnews extends its condolences to the family, friends, and school community affected by this devastating loss. We will continue following updates as the investigation progresses.
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