Three members of a British-based Palestinian family have died after entering the water off the Sussex coast, according to the Palestinian Embassy in London.
The deaths were announced on Wednesday, a day after the family went swimming near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. Police, paramedics, coastguard teams, and lifeboats were dispatched to the scene, where a total of four people were pulled from the water.
The father, Hossam al-Khawas, was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh camp in southern Lebanon, near the city of Tyre, according to the Press Association news agency.
Al-Khawas, along with a woman and a teenage girl, were confirmed dead. A younger girl was taken to hospital in critical condition.
In a statement, the Palestinian Mission to the United Kingdom said: "The embassy is closely following the incident and is in contact with the relevant British authorities to verify the circumstances and to check on the condition of the injured girl."
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday warned of the dangers of swimming in natural waters following the incident, which he called "a terrible family tragedy," according to the BBC. He said he sent "best wishes and thoughts" to the family and friends of those who died and to the girl in critical condition.
Drowning cases are rising across Europe as people seek to cool off during a heatwave on the continent, with incidents reported in France, Germany, and the UK. Experts warn that swimming in natural waters can pose unpredictable risks, including cold water shock, strong currents, and sudden changes in depth.
