Six-year-old girl dies after family drowns off UK coast

A six-year-old girl has died in hospital, becoming the fourth member of a Palestinian-British family to perish after they got into difficulty while swimming off the coast of southern England. Saja ElKhawas passed away on Friday, August 21, following the deaths of her parents and sister earlier in the week.

The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday, August 18, when the family entered the water near Shoreham Fort in West Sussex at approximately 2 p.m. They soon found themselves in distress. Emergency services responded and pulled four people from the sea. Saja's father, Hassan ElKhawas, 55, her mother, Zeina Alayn, 37, and her 14-year-old sister, Sara ElKhawas, were pronounced dead at the scene. Saja was taken to hospital in critical condition, where she remained until her death was confirmed three days later.

Sussex Police stated that an investigation remains open, but a review of CCTV footage and preliminary witness accounts indicates the deaths were a tragic accident with no third-party involvement. Chief Superintendent James Collis described the event as "a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community."