Ealing school pays tribute to ‘sweet girl’ who died in Shoreham sea incident alongside parents

Sara El-Khawas has been described as being ‘well-liked’ by students and staff

A 14-year-old girl who died after getting into difficulty in the sea with her family has been described as a ‘sweet girl’ who will be ‘greatly missed’ by her West London school.

Sara El-Khawas had gone into the water in the West Sussex coastal town of Shoreham with her dad, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and mother Zeina Alayn, 37, and another young girl on Tuesday afternoon (August 18).

Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat went to the scene where four people were pulled from the water, and three of them were pronounced dead at the scene. The other young girl remains in hospital in a critical condition, according to police.

It is believed the family travelled from their home in London to visit Shoreham and entered the water from the beach near Shoreham Fort at around 2pm before they got into difficulty.

Sara’s school, in Ealing, paid tribute to her. They wrote: “It is with great sadness that we share the news that our Year 8 student, Sara, has died following a tragic incident during the school holidays.

“Sara was a sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students, and she will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with her family, friends, and all those affected. We [are] also thinking of her sister and loved ones at this extremely difficult time.”

Floraral tributes have been left at the scene where the family were pulled into the water. Sussex Police said its investigation remains open, but following a review of CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, the current hypothesis is that the incident was a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement.

Chief Superintendent James Collis said: “The events of Tuesday afternoon are a heartbreaking tragedy which has devastated a family and their friends and had a profound impact on the Shoreham community.”

The Palestinian Forum said that the family were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon.

The school announced that it will put additional support in place for those affected and will work with specialist services to ‘ensure help is available’ to anyone who requires it.

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