A secondary school in west London has paid tribute to a 14-year-old pupil who died alongside her parents after the family got into difficulty while swimming in the sea near Shoreham-by-Sea. Sara El-Khawas, her father Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and her mother Zeina Alayn, 37, are believed to have entered the water close to Shoreham Fort in West Sussex on Tuesday, 18 August 2026, according to Sussex Police. A fourth family member, a younger girl, remains in hospital in a critical condition.
Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing described Sara in a statement on its website as a "sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students". Head teacher Rachel Kruger said the school community had been left shaken by the news.
We are deeply saddened by this, and our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those affected.
Our focus is now on supporting staff and students who have been affected by this.
What do police believe happened?
Sussex Police have said their current view is that all four family members went into the sea directly from the shore for a swim, and that officers are not searching for any other person in connection with the incident, according to a live update from a national broadcaster. Investigators have also said that CCTV footage and initial witness accounts support the working theory that the deaths resulted from a tragic accident rather than any third-party involvement, as reported by a news agency report. Police have separately confirmed that the family had travelled to Shoreham from London on the day of the incident, according to a further agency account.
Where exactly did the emergency response take place?
The incident unfolded near Shoreham Fort and Kingston Beach, close to Shoreham Port, an area that saw a major emergency services response on the day, according to a live blog from a national broadcaster. HM Coastguard subsequently carried out an extensive search of the surrounding water, while Shoreham RNLI confirmed that its lifeboat station remained closed to visitors throughout Wednesday. A source cited by a regional broadcaster described the episode as involving four people in difficulty in the water near Shoreham Fort, with three of them dying and the fourth, a girl, left critically ill.
What has been said about the family's background?
The Palestinian Forum said the family were British citizens of Palestinian origin with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. The Palestinian embassy in London earlier told the BBC that Hassan El-Khawas had been a refugee. Taher Aziz, of the Adur Muslim Centre, said the local community was "shocked to learn of the loss of three members of a family, and the critical condition of the surviving young girl", adding that they would be "praying for the deceased and for the swift recovery of the young girl in hospital".
Flowers have continued to be laid near Kingston Beach in Shoreham, with further tributes appearing on Thursday morning as news of the deaths spread through the local community.
Has this happened elsewhere recently?
The tragedy follows a separate incident off the Essex coast in July 2026, when the wife and daughter of a Bangladeshi politician died in a high-tide incident at West Mersea beach, and a seven-year-old relative who had been placed on life support later died in hospital. In that earlier case, a day-tripper helped rescue two children during the emergency, according to a separate account of the rescue effort. The Shoreham incident has renewed concern about the dangers of open-water swimming, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham describing it on Wednesday as "a terrible family tragedy".
What happens next?
Sussex Police have asked anyone with information or video footage that could assist their inquiries to come forward, either online or by calling 101 and quoting Operation North, according to a live update from a national broadcaster. The force has not indicated when the investigation into the exact circumstances of the deaths is expected to conclude.
Key Facts
- Sara El-Khawas, 14, and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, died after getting into difficulty in the sea near Shoreham Fort on 18 August 2026.
- A fourth family member, a young girl, remains in hospital in a critical condition.
- Sussex Police believe the family entered the water for a swim and are treating the deaths as a tragic accident with no third-party involvement.
- The family were described as British citizens of Palestinian origin with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon.
- Sussex Police are appealing for witnesses or footage under the reference Operation North.
