Three family members die off Shoreham coast; girl critical

Three members of the same family—a man, a woman and a teenage girl—have died after getting into difficulty in the sea off Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex, with a younger girl from the same family fighting for her life in hospital. Emergency services were called at about 3pm yesterday following reports that four people had entered the water from the land for a swim and had encountered difficulties. Despite the efforts of paramedics, coastguard crews, police, several ambulances and an air ambulance, three were pronounced dead at the scene.

Chief Superintendent James Collis of Sussex Police confirmed that all four individuals were from the same family and that the coastguard was not searching for anyone else. He added that the younger girl had been taken to hospital in a critical condition. The next of kin have been informed. The incident took place at Kingston Beach, a short distance from Shoreham Port and approximately six miles from Brighton, an area popular with sea swimmers but where the River Adur meets the open sea.

The emergency response was described by one BBC reporter as "the biggest turnout I have seen", with a significant police presence and a cordon remaining in place into the evening. The A259 was closed overnight but has since reopened. Locals, who have been greatly affected by the tragedy, laid floral tributes near the RNLI lifeboat station this morning, where a sombre mood prevailed under grey skies. Friends Liz Donnelly and Lee Smith, both from Shoreham-by-Sea, were among those to lay flowers. "It's quite emotional. It's just a real shock to such a small town," said Donnelly, while Smith remarked that their own children regularly use the beach, putting the tragedy into perspective.

Tom Rutland, the Labour MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, described it as a "very sad morning" and praised the emergency services for their "incredible" effort. "The police, ambulance service, air ambulance, RNLI, the coastguard—it was an incredible effort," he said, adding that he had spoken to the Maritime Minister and that the government would offer support. The Good Shepherd parish church near the beach announced it would remain open all day as a quiet space for reflection and prayer for the deceased and the recovery of the surviving girl.

Ashley Jones, head of water safety and education at the Royal Life Saving Society, told Radio 4's Today Programme that the tragedy underscored the need for drowning to be treated as a public health issue. "It's a preventable issue," he said. "At the moment, it is too often seen as a tragic accident." Despite the events of the previous day, some swimmers were observed in the sea this morning, though conditions were reported to be rougher than of late. The Shoreham Beach Residents' Association paid tribute to the emergency services, stating that the response had been "phenomenal" and that the incident had "sent shockwaves across the local community".