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Shoreham-by-Sea drowning: Three family members dead
Three members of a Palestinian refugee family have died after getting into difficulty while swimming off the coast of Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. The deceased have been identified as 55-year-old Hossam El-Khawwas, his partner Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter, Sara El-Khawas. A younger daughter, Saja, was rescued from the water and remains in critical condition in hospital.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon near Shoreham Fort. Emergency services, including Sussex Police, HM Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, and multiple air ambulances, responded to reports of four people in distress. Witnesses reported that the sea conditions were rough due to high winds. Some eyewitnesses suggested a child may have become entangled in a fishing net, though police stated there is currently no evidence to confirm this and their investigation is treating the event as a tragic accident with no third-party involvement.
The Palestinian Embassy in London confirmed that Mr. El-Khawwas was a refugee from the Rashidieh camp in Lebanon. The family had reportedly traveled from London to visit the area. Following the tragedy, Prime Minister Andy Burnham issued a warning regarding the dangers of open water swimming, noting that cold water can shock even in warm weather.
Entities
Andy Burnham · HM Coastguard · His Majesty's Coast Guard · Hossam Al-Khawas · Hossam El-Khawwas · James Collis · Palestinian Embassy in London · RNLI · Sara El-Khawas · Shoreham Fort · Shoreham-by-Sea · Sussex Police
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Prime Minister Andy Burnham issued a warning regarding the dangers of open water swimming during heatwaves. internewscast.com · www.gbnews.com
- [● 8 SOURCES] All four family members entered the water from the land to swim before getting into difficulty. www.bbc.co.uk · noticiasemportugues.co.uk · internewscast.com · www.world-today-news.com · thelatest.co.uk · +1 more
- [● 8 SOURCES] Emergency services were alerted to the incident on Tuesday afternoon around 14:40 to 15:00 BST. www.bbc.co.uk · noticiasemportugues.co.uk · www.world-today-news.com · inews.co.uk · www.fakt.pl · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] Witnesses suggested one of the children may have become entangled in a fishing net. internewscast.com · www.paraskhnio.gr · seleo.gr · www.topky.sk · www.bild.de · +1 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The deceased man was Hossam Al-Khawas, a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh camp in Lebanon. noticiasemportugues.co.uk · internewscast.com · www.bbc.co.uk · www.brightonandhovenews.org · ca.news.yahoo.com · +1 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The A259 road was closed in both directions to facilitate the emergency response. www.bbc.co.uk · www.world-today-news.com · inews.co.uk
- [● 5 SOURCES] Coastguard teams have completed an extensive search and confirmed no other persons are missing. www.bbc.co.uk · noticiasemportugues.co.uk · thelatest.co.uk
- [● 11 SOURCES] Three family members—a man, a woman, and a teenage girl—died, while a younger girl remains in critical condition in hospital. www.bbc.co.uk · noticiasemportugues.co.uk · www.world-today-news.com · inews.co.uk · thelatest.co.uk · +3 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The current hypothesis is that this was a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement. www.bbc.co.uk · thelatest.co.uk · www.brightonandhovenews.org · www.rotherradio.co.uk