Overview
- Emergency crews responded to reports of four people in difficulty close to Shoreham Fort on Tuesday, 18 August, and all four were brought ashore with a man, a woman and a teenage girl confirmed dead and a younger girl taken to hospital in critical condition.
- A large multi‑agency rescue including HM Coastguard, RNLI lifeboats, South East Coast Ambulance Service and air ambulances attended the scene and the A259 was closed while crews worked.
- Sussex Police have named the deceased as Hassan El‑Khawas, 55; his partner Zeina Alayn, 37; and their 14‑year‑old daughter Sara El‑Khawas, and specialist officers are supporting the family’s next of kin.
- Police say the investigation remains open but that a review of CCTV and initial witness accounts currently suggests no third‑party involvement; they are appealing for any witness statements or video, quoting Operation North, and will prepare a coroner’s file.
- Locals and officials have warned about changing tides and open‑water risks after the incident, an eyewitness claim that a child was caught in a fishing net remains unverified, and the deaths are likely to prompt further safety reminders and a formal inquest process.