Shoreham community holds vigil for family who died at sea

The community in Shoreham, West Sussex, has paid its respects to a family who died after getting into difficulty in the sea on Tuesday.

Hassan El-Khawas, 55, Zeina Alayn, 37, and their 14-year-old daughter Sara, died despite the efforts of paramedics at the scene. It was confirmed on Friday that six-year-old Saja El-Khawas had died in hospital.

A vigil took place earlier at Kingston Beach, where the incident took place, alongside a one-minute silence in Shoreham town centre.

Reverend Pat Alden said: "When something happens, whether it's something we celebrate... or tragic circumstances like this, the community comes together."

Alden added: "Shoreham is the sort of place where the community comes together at times like this. We are a very close-knit community."

Tom Rutland, East Worthing and Shoreham MP, who attended the vigil, said the whole town was "heartbroken, particularly by the development that Saja has lost her life sadly too".

Alden added: "The way everybody has come together and marked today with this minute's silence, and there were people who met with paddleboards and kayaks over at Kingston Beach as well this morning, it's been a really lovely way to pay to the very sad loss of these lives."

Wesley Horscroft attended on behalf of paddlers in the Kingston beach community.

He said he had originally planned to go out alone and "put some flowers on the water" to honour the family, before he decided to invite others.

"It's kind of grown and a lot of people wanted to turn up to do the same," he said.

He said Saja's death had added an "another layer" to the grief felt in the town.

The family lived in London and were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon.

Their extended family had lived in the UK for many years, the Palestinian Forum said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the incident a "terrible family tragedy".