British police have identified three members of a Palestinian-heritage family who died by drowning, while a young girl was rescued and taken to hospital. The British Prime Minister expressed his condolences to the victims and warned of the dangers of "cold water shock".
According to Sussex Police, Hassan al-Khawas, 55; his wife Zeina Alyan, 37; and his daughter Sarah al-Khawas, 14, are believed to have drowned after experiencing difficulties in the water at Shoreham Fort beach, south of London, on Tuesday. Another girl from the family, aged six, was rescued from the water and taken to hospital in critical condition.
The incident occurred in the afternoon when reports were received of four people in difficulties in the water near Shoreham. The response involved teams from the Coast Guard, rescue boats from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, air ambulance helicopters, police officers and ambulance crews.
Police indicated that the family travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham beach. After reviewing security footage, investigators concluded that the deaths were caused by accidental drowning, with no third-party involvement. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the incident as a "terrible family tragedy". The Palestinian Embassy in London confirmed that Hassan al-Khawas was a refugee from the al-Rashidiyya camp in southern Lebanon, where the family lived before moving to Britain several years ago.
Burnham warned on Wednesday of the dangers of swimming in open water, noting that although another heat wave is forecast during the summer, cold water temperatures can cause shock even on hot days. Chief Inspector James Collis of Sussex Police described the incident as a "devastating tragedy that has destroyed a family and their friends and has deeply impacted the Shoreham community".
Some British reports mentioned other possible causes of the incident. Eyewitnesses stated that one of the girls became trapped in fishing nets, while other reports suggested that the father attempted to rescue her before dying, according to the Mirror newspaper. The family is believed to have been camping near the site of the incident. Local residents indicated that Shoreham harbour has a very steep cliff where the seabed drops away rapidly.
