In a grim coda to an already devastating story, the six-year-old girl pulled from the sea off Shoreham has died, making it a clean sweep of tragedy for one London family. Saja El-Khawas, 6, passed away on Friday, three days after the incident that also claimed her parents and sister.

Saja had been clinging to life in critical condition since Tuesday, when police, paramedics, coastguard crews, and a lifeboat rushed to Shoreham Fort after reports of four people struggling in the water. The family, from London, had made the fateful trip to the seaside and entered the water around 2pm. The sea, apparently, had other plans.

Sussex police, in their statement, noted the obvious: this was a tragic accident. 'Following review of CCTV footage and initial witness accounts, the current hypothesis is that this was a tragic accident, with no third-party involvement,' they said, in case anyone suspected a nefarious seagull or rogue wave with a grudge.

Saja's death was confirmed via a legal notice from solicitors for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS foundation trust and the Palestinian Forum in Britain, adding an extra layer of bureaucracy to an already unbearable loss. The Palestinian embassy confirmed her father, Hassan El-Khawas, 55, was a British citizen of Palestinian descent.

Ch Supt James Collis expressed the collective dread: 'This heartbreaking update is one we all feared in the aftermath of Tuesday's tragic events.' Indeed, the only surprise is that it took three days. He extended condolences to the wider family, who are now left to grieve a mother, father, and two daughters, all gone in one afternoon.

The Shoreham community and emergency responders will feel this for a long time, as will anyone with a pulse. The police have asked for privacy for the family, which seems like the least we can offer, given that the sea has already taken everything else.