Inquest opens into Shoreham sea deaths of four family members
An inquest has opened into the deaths of four family members pulled from the sea at Shoreham, with police treating the incident as an accident.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An inquest has opened into the deaths of four family members who were pulled from the sea at Shoreham two weeks ago. The hearing, held today, began the process of establishing exactly how the family died.
The family have been named as Assam el-Hawas, his wife Zayna Alay, their 14-year-old daughter Sarah, and their six-year-old daughter Saja. All four were from Halston in northwest London and had travelled to Shoreham on the day of the incident. The father, mother and older sister were pronounced dead at the scene, while the youngest daughter was resuscitated on the beach but died in hospital three days later after showing signs of a brain injury throughout treatment.
The coroner confirmed that the father, mother and older sister were brought to shore by the RNLI and were all declared dead at the lifeboat station. The cause of death for those three family members has not yet been ascertained. The youngest daughter, Saja, was the only one of the four to be resuscitated at the scene.
The family held a joint funeral in Beirut last week. Mr el-Hawas was a former Palestinian refugee from the Rashid ayah camp in Lebanon and had been in the UK for around 25 years, according to a friend.
Sussex Police are continuing their investigation, reviewing CCTV and witness accounts. They currently believe the deaths were an accident with no third party involvement. The coroner has adjourned the proceedings and will return in March to give conclusions on how the three other family members died.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 |
|---|---|
| Police believe the deaths were an accident with no third party involvement. | |
| Saja was the only one of the four to be resuscitated on the beach. | |
| The father, mother and older sister were brought to shore by the RNLI and declared dead at the lifeboat station. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the inquest opening, the emotional details of the family, and the ongoing police investigation. It highlighted the father's background as a former Palestinian refugee and the fact that the youngest daughter was the only one resuscitated. The tone was somber and factual, with a clear emphasis on the human tragedy.
- “the inquest heard how Saja was the only one of the four to be resuscitated here on the beach”
- “the coroner today confirmed that the father the mother the older sister were all brought to the shore By the RNLI here, but they were all declared dead at the lifeboat station”
- “they currently think that the deaths were an accident with no third party involvement”
Broadcast Timeline
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