By NICK FAGGE, SENIOR REPORTER and GETHIN HICKS, REPORTER
Published: 21:26 BST, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 07:29 BST, 19 August 2026
The family who died in Sussex had been swimming in choppy seas while camping nearby, locals say.
A young girl remained fighting for her life overnight after the summer holiday horror that killed three of her relatives yesterday.
Ambulances, two helicopters and coastguards rushed to Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, at 3pm after fishermen reported seeing four people struggling in the water.
Sussex Police confirmed that a man, a woman and a teenage girl had died. The fourth relative, a younger girl, is in a critical condition. All four of those pulled from the water are from the same family.
The force said the family had been going for a swim when the tragedy unfolded. A fisherman is understood to have pulled one of the children out before raising the alarm.
Locals last night said the family had been camping on the harbour front nearby before tragedy struck.
The names of those who died are yet to be released. The family is understood to have relatives who live abroad.
Chief Superintendent James Collis confirmed at a press conference last night that the coastguard is not searching for anyone else.
Three members of the same family have died after getting into difficulty in the water at Shoreham-by-Sea on Tuesday afternoon
Police and ambulances rushed to the scene in West Sussex shortly after 3pm
Two air ambulances were seen landing on the shore
Witnesses said that fishermen first reported that four people had got into difficulty in the water
Sussex Police said: 'Tragically, despite the best efforts of paramedics, three people, a man, a woman, and a teenage girl, were sadly confirmed deceased.
