A family who drowned off a Sussex beach have been identified as a Palestinian refugee, his wife and their daughter.
Hossam El-Khawwas, his wife and their eldest daughter died after getting into difficulty while swimming at Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, at about 3pm yesterday, as choppy sea conditions affected the area.
Their younger daughter remains in hospital, where she is in a critical condition.
The Palestinian embassy confirmed that Mr El-Khawwas was Palestinian and had travelled to the UK from a refugee camp in Lebanon.
The family had been camping along the harbour front in Shoreham before entering the water yesterday, where they later ran into trouble.
Witnesses claimed the tragedy began when one of the children became caught in a fishing net while swimming. A fisherman is understood to have pulled one of the children from the water before raising the alarm.
The Palestinian Forum in Britain paid tribute to the family and said it was mourning their deaths.
‘With hearts believing in God’s decree, the Palestinian Forum in Britain mourns Mr Hossam El-Khawwas, his virtuous wife, and their daughter – from the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon – following their drowning in the Sussex area,’ it said.
Footage shows a lifeboat battling heavy seas during a desperate search for a family who drowned yesterday
Three members of the same family died after getting into difficulty in the water at Shoreham-by-Sea yesterday afternoon
Footage that emerged this afternoon shows a lifeboat being rocked by heavy waves as it carried out a search operation to find the family – with ambulances and two helicopters also at the scene.
Eyewitness Joe Chrisp, 24, said: ‘One of the local fishermen said it was two adults, two kids.
‘One of the kids apparently got caught in a fishing net.’
Andy Burnham sent his ‘best wishes and love’ to the relatives and friends of the girl fighting for her life – and reminded people of the ‘dangers of open water swimming’.
Asked during a visit to the North East if the Government needed to do more to tackle water safety, the Prime Minister replied: ‘Always. It’s so sad to hear what happened yesterday, and obviously we think there’s a young girl still in the hospital fighting for her life, and we send our best wishes and love to wider friends and family.
‘The thing I can say today, and there is still, I think, a further heatwave to come in this summer period, is just to remind people about the dangers of open water swimming.
‘The coldness, even when it feels hot outside, can shock people, and that can cause the difficulties. So people just need to remember that at all times.’
Mr Burnham added: ‘I do need to praise the emergency services, who I know were on scene very quickly yesterday. They’ve had a busy summer, but they were there, and we thank them. As I say, just huge sympathy to the friends and the family.’
Chief Superintendent James Collis confirmed at a press conference last night that the coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
Sussex Police said: ‘Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people, a man, a woman, and a teenage girl, were sadly confirmed deceased.
‘A younger girl has been taken to hospital and is in critical condition. We can confirm, all four people were from the same family, and their next of kin have been informed.
‘Specialist officers are supporting them at this incredibly difficult time, and our thoughts are with their family and friends.’
Floral tributes and a lantern left at the scene after the tragedy yesterday
A woman leaves a bunch of flowers at the scene after three people died and a girl was left in critical condition
Two air ambulances were seen landing on the shore after the incident
Police and ambulances rushed to the scene in West Sussex shortly after 3pm
A boy lays flowers on the beach near to where tragedy struck yesterday afternoon
An investigation has been launched to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
‘At this point, we believe all four entered the water from the land for a swim, and sadly, got into difficulty,’ the force added.
Pictures from the Shoreham seaside showed a huge emergency service response to the incident as eight ambulances parked on the shore beside helicopters.
They remained at the scene, around a 20-minute drive from Brighton, for hours after their 3pm arrival. A police cordon was eventually removed shortly before 9pm.
Road closures had been put in place nearby with the A259 Brighton Road, which runs alongside the beach, blocked in both directions from New Road to Kingston Lane.
A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I heard from friends in the Coastguard that it was a family who had been living in tents by the harbour front.
‘They were camping just between the harbour arm and the fort. They have been there a couple of weeks, I’ve walked my dog past them. People don’t usually camp there.’
Joss Loader, who lives nearby and represents Shoreham Beach Residents’ Association on Adur District Council, said: ‘There’s just a really strong sense of shock, obviously people are really concerned for the young girl.
‘A small tightly knit community with a very deep sense of shock and that sense of disbelief you get after a tragedy because it has come out of nowhere.
‘It’s school holidays and we have had a wonderful summer so the beaches have been packed with families.
‘People swim from those beaches even in the winter, generally it is considered as safe as the sea can be. You wouldn’t be swimming there and think you were taking a risk.’
Anna Peacock, 81, who lives near Kingston Beach across the water from Shoreham Fort, said emergency services were on the scene very quickly.
Witnesses said that fishermen first reported that four people had got into difficulty in the water
Police were seen searching a car nearby
Chief Superintendent James Collis said the family had entered the water for a swim
‘It was terribly sad to know that just across the road people have lost their lives,’ she said. ‘People come down to swim, particularly in the summertime and I don’t think they realise there’s a riptide along here.’
Gary and Victoria Flint took their children to the beach for the day. Victoria, from Horsham, said: ‘We arrived at about three and soon after we heard the siren for the lifeboat.
‘We watched it launch then about 20 minutes later, it came back. Ambulances started arriving – more and more of them – then the air ambulances started.’
Another witness told ITV News: ‘I was up near the Coastguard tower when I saw two police officers come past me holding evidence bags after they looked to be going through belongings of, presumably, those who were involved in the incident.’
Alan Facer, 41, a fisherman from Hove, said the water would have been rough when the family got into trouble.
He said: ‘The wind earlier was south-westerly so usually the waves pick up quite a bit. At 3pm, the tide would have been quite high.’
MP for East Worthing and Shoreham Tom Rutland meanwhile described the incident as a ‘tragedy’, adding: ‘I am deeply saddened by the tragic news that three people have died following an incident in the water near Shoreham Fort this afternoon.
‘I spoke earlier with Sussex Police and Shoreham RNLI and have been briefed on the response by the emergency services.
‘My thoughts are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives, and I know the whole community here in Shoreham will be hoping and praying for the recovery of the young girl receiving medical treatment in hospital.’
A spokesman from the RNLI said lifeboat crews were launched at around 2.50pm yesterday afternoon.
Two other lifeboats were also launched from the Brighton lifeboat station shortly after 3pm.
The coastguard, meanwhile, said ‘it responded to an incident reported at Shoreham at about 2.45pm’.
They added: ‘An HM Coastguard helicopter was sent as well as Littlehampton, Shoreham and Newhaven Coastguard Rescue Teams, and an RNLI lifeboat from Shoreham.’
