Girl, 6, dies after being pulled from sea with family in Sussex

A six-year-old girl who was pulled from the sea at Shoreham on Tuesday along with three of her family members has died in hospital.

Saja El-Khawas got into difficulty in the water alongside her 14-year-old sister Sara El-Khawas, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, who died earlier this week. Saja had been in hospital in a critical condition since the incident.

Her identity and death were confirmed in a legal notice from solicitors acting on behalf of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, as well as the Palestinian Forum in Britain.

The Palestinian embassy said Mr El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon.

Police previously said it is believed the family had travelled down from London to visit Shoreham, and that they had entered the sea for a swim.

On Wednesday, Sussex Police said their investigation remains open, but after a review of CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, it is currently thought the deaths were a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement.

Chief Superintendent James Collis 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.”

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