Shoreham Beach Death: Tributes Payed to Family by Ealing School
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School ‘deeply saddened’ by death of family in sea off Shoreham
Image source:
Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls
Image caption:
Sara El-Khawas died alongside her father and mother after getting into difficulty in water off the coast of Shoreham-by-Sea
By Patrick Barlow
South East | Published 20 August 2026, 09:01 BST
Updated 10 minutes ago
A school attended by a 14-year-old girl who died alongside her father and mother after getting into difficulty in water off the coast of Shoreham-by-Sea has paid tribute to her.
Sara El-Khawas and her parents Hassan El-Khawas, 55, and Zeina Alayn, 37, are believed to have entered the water near Shoreham Fort in West Sussex on Tuesday, according to Sussex Police.
In a statement on its website, the Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing, west London, described Sara as a "sweet girl, well-liked by staff and students."
Head teacher Rachel Kruger said:
"We are deeply saddened by this, and our thoughts are with her family, friends, and all those affected. Our focus is now on supporting staff and students who have been affected by this."
Further floral tributes were left near Kingston Beach in Shoreham on Thursday morning.
The Palestinian Forum stated that the family were British citizens of Palestinian origin, with roots in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. Earlier, the Palestinian embassy in London informed the BBC that Hassan El-Khawas had been a refugee.
The family are believed to have traveled from London to Shoreham on the same day of the incident, which is thought to be a tragic accident with no third-party involvement, police said.
Taher Aziz, of the Adur Muslim Centre, also expressed shock:
"We will be praying for the deceased and for the swift recovery of the young girl in hospital."
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham cautioned against the dangers of open water swimming following the incident, describing it as "a terrible family tragedy."
