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Shoreham tragedy: Inquest into family's sea deaths
2 Sep
Summary
- A six-year-old girl died after being rescued from the sea.
- Three other family members were pronounced dead at the scene.
- An ongoing police investigation is linked to the deaths.
Four members of a family, including a six-year-old girl, tragically died after entering the sea near Shoreham Fort. The father, Hussam El-Khawas, his wife Zeina Alayan, and their elder daughter Sara El-Khawas, aged 14, were recovered from the water by the RNLI on August 18 and declared deceased at the scene. Their younger daughter, Saja El-Khawas, six, was rescued and taken to hospital in critical condition. She passed away on August 21, with a provisional cause of death listed as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and drowning.
The inquest into their deaths opened at Horsham, with the coroner noting an ongoing police investigation into the circumstances. The family, who lived in northwest London, are understood to have traveled to Shoreham for a visit. Police are currently treating the deaths as an accident, with no evidence of third-party involvement found after reviewing CCTV and initial witness accounts.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help cover funeral and repatriation costs to Lebanon, exceeding its £20,000 goal. The Palestinian embassy identified Mr. El-Khawas as a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. The inquests for all four family members have been adjourned until March 16 of next year, pending the conclusion of the police investigation.
