The six-year-old girl left in desperate conditions after the tragedy at sea that killed a family in Shoreham-by-Sea, in the south of England, also died. Little Saja El-Khawas was recovered while still alive and rushed to hospital. She died on Friday 21 August, three days after the accident in which her father, mother and older sister had already lost their lives.
According to the reconstruction reported by the Palestinian Forum in Britain and collected by Guardianthe origin of the tragedy may have been a fishing net in which his fourteen-year-old sister Sara was entangled.
The entangled girl and the father who tries to save her
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday 18 August in the waters off Shoreham Fort, West Sussex. The family lived in London and was of Palestinian origin. His father came from the Rashidieh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Two other children of the couple – who were on the coast to spend a day at the seaside – were not present at the time of the accident and were entrusted to family members.
According to Adnan Hmidan, president of the Palestinian Forum in Britain, fourteen-year-old Sara suddenly found herself in trouble after becoming entangled in a fishing net while the sea was rough. Her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, then entered the water to try to free her. In a few moments, however, he too would find himself in difficulty due to the waves and strong currents. At that point the mother, Zeina Alayn, 37, also attempted to reach them. The situation would have worsened quickly, also involving the youngest daughter, Saja.
The alarm went off around 2.40pm. The coast guard, police, ambulances, medical rescue helicopters and boats from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution intervened in the area. All four were brought back to shore. For Hassan, Zeina and Sara, however, resuscitation attempts proved futile.
Six-year-old Saja was still breathing and was transferred to hospital in critical condition. Doctors tried to save her for three days, but on Friday 21 August the news of her death arrived. With her the death toll from the tragedy has risen to four victims.