A six-year-old girl has died in hospital after she and her family got into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham in West Sussex, England, leaving four members of the same family dead.
The girl, Saja El-Khawas, a British Palestinian from London, was rescued from the water by emergency responders on Tuesday but later died in hospital.
Her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, mother, Zeina Alayn, 37, and 14-year-old sister, Sara, died at the scene despite efforts by paramedics to revive them.
Emergency services were alerted at about 2:40pm BST after reports that four people were struggling in the water near Shoreham Fort.
The family had reportedly entered the sea from the beach around 2pm.
The incident occurred at Kingston Beach, close to Shoreham Port, with a major emergency operation involving HM Coastguard, the RNLI, South East Coast Ambulance Service and Sussex Police.
According to Sussex Police, the family had travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham that day.
Police said their investigation remained ongoing but that CCTV footage and initial witness statements indicated that the incident was most likely a tragic accident.
“The investigation into the incident remains open, but following review of CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, the current hypothesis is that this was a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement,” a police spokesperson said.
A file will be prepared for the coroner ahead of an inquest.
Ch Supt James Collis described the development as the outcome everyone had feared following Tuesday’s incident.
“This heartbreaking update is one we all feared in the aftermath of Tuesday’s tragic events.
“The impact of this tragedy has been felt across the country, and I know the Shoreham community, emergency responders and all involved will continue to be affected for a long time to come.
“I would like to thank all of the public who have shared their sympathies and kind words.”
The family were British citizens of Palestinian origin and had roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon.
Their wider family had reportedly lived in the UK for several years.
Tributes have since been left along the Shoreham seafront, with residents expressing shock and grief over the deaths.
Tom Rutland, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, described Saja’s death as “utterly heartbreaking”, while the Beach Residents’ Association said the incident had sent “shockwaves across the local community”.
Local councillor Joss Loader also described the deaths as a “shocking, heart-rending tragedy”.
