A family of four overwhelmed by the sea, three victims and a little girl fighting for her life in hospital. This is the toll of the tragedy that occurred off the coast of Shoreham, in West Sussex, England, where a man, his wife and teenage daughter drowned after finding themselves in difficulty in the water.
His father was a Palestinian refugee from Rashidieh camp in Lebanon. The British police have not yet officially released the names of the three victims, while the family members have been informed and are being assisted by specialized personnel.
The little girl entangled in a net
The exact dynamics are still being examined by the Sussex police, but a dramatic hypothesis emerges from the testimonies collected by the British media. The couple’s youngest daughter reportedly became entangled in a fishing net while in the water. Her father then dived in to try to save her and the other family members also ended up in the sea.
At that moment the conditions were particularly difficult, with strong winds and rough water. The four would have been dragged offshore while trying to rescue the little girl. The latter was recovered alive and transported to hospital, where she is in critical condition. For the other three members of the family, however, there was nothing that could be done.
Rescue and resuscitation attempts
The alarm went off around 3pm yesterday, Tuesday 18 August, when some fishermen noticed the group in difficulty and called for help. Within minutes, eight ambulance vehicles, several lifeboats and two air ambulances arrived on the beach.
Once the victims had been brought back to shore, the rescuers attempted for a long time to resuscitate them under the eyes of the swimmers, but were unable to save the three members of the family. The police specified that there are no other people missing and have opened an investigation to reconstruct all the circumstances of the tragedy.