School Honors 14-Year-Old Student Sara El Khawas After Tragic Drowning Off Shoreham Coast

The school attended by a young girl who tragically drowned alongside her Palestinian parents in the UK has paid a heartfelt tribute to the "sweet" and "well-liked" student.

Sara El Khawas, 14, lost her life after getting into difficulty in the sea at Shoreham on Tuesday afternoon. Her father, Hassan El Khawas, 55, and her 37-year-old mother, Zeina Alayn, also passed away in the incident. Meanwhile, the couple's other daughter, Saja, was successfully rescued and remains hospitalized in critical condition.

According to the Palestinian embassy in the UK, Mr Al Khawas was born in the Rashidieh refugee camp in Lebanon. The embassy stated its belief that all members of the family held British citizenship, having reportedly lived in west London for over a decade.

Ms El Khawas attended Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Ealing, which shared a touching tribute on its official website.

"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," the statement read. "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."

Nehad Khanfar, head of the Association of Palestinians Communities in the UK, noted that the family was well established in the UK and served as active members of the British Palestinian community. APCUK reported that Mr Al Khawas's brothers and children are receiving support from close friends and family, while their extended family in Lebanon has also been notified of the tragedy. A condolence event is planned by APCUK following the burial.

"The community is very affected. We were all shocked. But at this time we have to support the family," Dr Khanfar told The National.

Postmortem examinations must be completed before the bodies can be released for burial. The three family members perished after struggling in the water in Shoreham, West Sussex, where visitors have since left floral tributes and messages of condolence along the seafront.

Sussex Police indicated that the family traveled from their London home to visit Shoreham, entering the water from the beach at Shoreham Fort at approximately 2pm on Tuesday afternoon before encountering distress.

"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," said Chief Superintendent James Collis.