Palestinian refugee and two relatives drown off English coast

Three members of a Palestinian British family have drowned after entering the sea off England's Sussex coast, the Palestinian embassy in London notes.

Key points

• The father, Hossam al-Khawas, was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in southern Lebanon near Tyre, the Press Association news agency documented.
• The embassy confirmed their deaths on Wednesday, a day after the family went for a swim near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex.
• UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday cautioned of the dangers of open water swimming after the incident.
• Drownings have surged throughout Europe as residents seek relief from the heatwave on the continent with incidents documented in France, Germany and the UK.
• Police, paramedics, coastguard crews and a lifeboat were deployed at the scene where four individuals were pulled from the water.

Meanwhile, the embassy confirmed their deaths on Wednesday, a day after the family went for a swim near Shoreham Fort in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex.

Notably, the father, Hossam al-Khawas, was a Palestinian refugee from the Rashidieh Camp in southern Lebanon near Tyre, the Press Association news agency documented.

Al-Khawas, a woman and a teenage girl were pronounced dead. A younger girl was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

"The Embassy is closely monitoring the incident and is making the necessary contacts with the relevant British authorities to ascertain its circumstances and to check on the condition of the injured girl, " the Palestinian mission in the United Kingdom remarked in an official note.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Wednesday cautioned of the dangers of open water swimming after the incident. It he described as "a terrible family tragedy", the BBC noted.

He remarked he sends his "best wishes and love" to the family and friends of those who died as well as the girl who remains in critical condition.

Drownings have surged throughout Europe as residents seek relief from the heatwave on the continent with incidents documented in France, Germany and the UK. Experts cautioned that open-water swimming can carry hidden risks, including cold water shock, robust currents and sudden changes in depth.

Taken together, the developments around palestinian refugee and two relatives drown off English coast point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.