Vigil held for family who died in sea off Shoreham
Town pays its respects to a family who died after getting into difficulty in the water off West Sussex.
A vigil was held in Shoreham for a family who tragically lost their lives in the sea. The victims were Hassan El-Khawas, 55, his wife Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter Sara. Tragically, their six-year-old daughter Saja El-Khawas also died in a hospital on Friday. A gathering took place at Kingston Beach, where people convened on paddleboards to pay tribute.
A moment of silence was observed in the town centre, honoring the 11 men who perished in the Shoreham air crash. Reverend Pat Alden remarked, "The community comes together in times like these." Tom Rutland, the MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, expressed the town's heartbreak over the loss, particularly noting the additional sorrow of Saja's death.
Wesley Horscroft, representing the paddlers in Kingston Beach, had initially intended to place flowers in the water, but decided to invite others, resulting in a united outpouring of grief. The family had journeyed from London to Shoreham to visit within days of their arrival. Sussex Police stated the investigation was ongoing, with the current hypothesis being a tragic accident with no external involvement.
The family, British citizens of Palestinian origin with roots in Lebanon, had lived in the UK for many years. Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the incident as a "terrible family tragedy."
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