Inquest opens into Shoreham sea deaths of four family members
Quick Look
- An inquest has opened into the deaths of Hussam El-Khawas, 55, Zeina Alayan, 37, and their daughters Sara, 13, and Saja, 6, who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham on 18 August.
- Saja died three days later in Evelina Children's Hospital.
- The coroner adjourned the inquest to March 2027 and offered condolences to the family.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The family resided in north west London. Hussam El-Khawas worked as a construction worker and was a Palestinian refugee from Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon. Zeina Alayan was a homemaker. Both parents held Lebanese nationality and British passports. Their children were born in Kensington, London.
An inquest has opened into the death of four family members who died after getting into difficulty in the sea off the coast of Shoreham.
Hussam El-Khawas, 55, Zeina Alayan, 37, and their daughter Sara El-Khawas, 13, were pronounced dead after being brought to shore by lifeboat crews on 18 August. The couple's younger daughter, Saja El-Khawas, died at the Evelina Children's Hospital in London three days later.
Senior coroner Penelope Scholfield opened and adjourned the inquest to March 2027 and offered her "sincere condolences" to the wider family.
Six-year-old Saja was resuscitated but showed signs of a brain injury throughout treatment. No provisional cause of death was given for the other family members.
The family lived in north west London, where El-Khawas worked as a construction worker, while Alayan was a homemaker, the inquest in Horsham was told.
Both parents were Lebanese nationals with British passports, while the children were born in Kensington.
El-Khawas was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in Lebanon, the Palestinian embassy previously said.
It is believed that the family travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham and entered the water from the beach near Shoreham Fort at about 14:00 BST before getting into difficulty.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The inquest will resume in March 2027 to determine the causes of death.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What was the provisional cause of death for Hussam El-Khawas, Zeina Alayan, and Sara El-Khawas?
- What specific conditions in the sea led to the family getting into difficulty?
- Were there any lifeguard patrols or safety warnings in effect at Shoreham Beach on 18 August?
- What was the extent of Saja El-Khawas's brain injury and how did it contribute to her death?
