A Palestinian-British family of four went swimming off Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, on Tuesday afternoon and struggled in the water around 2:40pm, emergency services said [1, 2, 3]. Despite efforts on scene, a man, a woman, and a teenage girl from the family were found dead [1, 3]. The deceased were identified as 55-year-old Hassan (Hossam) El-Khawas, his 37-year-old partner Zeina Alayn (Alyan), and their 14-year-old daughter Sara (Sarah) El-Khawas [2, 3]. A younger girl from the family was rescued and remains in critical condition at a hospital [1, 3].

The family, originally Palestinian refugees from the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon, lived in London before the incident [2, 3]. They had been camping near the harbour front before entering the water [3]. Eye witnesses reported one child may have been caught in a fishing net, but police have not confirmed this detail [3]. Local residents described the sea conditions as "incredibly rough" with "incredibly strong" winds on the day [3].

Emergency response included Sussex Police, the Coastguard, an RNLI lifeboat dispatched around 3pm, two air ambulance helicopters, and critical care teams [1, 3]. Chief Superintendent James Collis said, "At around 2.40pm this afternoon, emergency services were called to reports of four people in difficulty in the water close to Shoreham Fort. Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people — a man, woman and teenage girl — have sadly been confirmed deceased" [3].

Police believe all four entered the water deliberately to swim and are investigating the circumstances. Their current theory is a tragic accident with no third-party involvement [1, 2, 3]. UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the event a "terrible family tragedy" and warned about the dangers of open-water swimming during heatwaves. He said, "The coldness, even when it feels hot outside, it can shock people, and that can cause the difficulties" [1].

Police identified the deceased and confirmed the surviving girl’s critical condition on Wednesday, a day after the incident [2, 3].