Prime Minister Andy Burnham has issued a warning about the dangers of open-water swimming, describing the deaths of a mother, father, and their teenage daughter in Sussex as “a terrible family tragedy”. The family got into difficulty in the water off Shoreham-by-Sea on Tuesday afternoon.
A younger girl from the same family was taken to hospital and remains in a critical condition. Mr Burnham expressed his sympathies to their loved ones.
Sussex police confirmed that a man, a woman, and a teenage girl died at the scene, and believe all four entered the water to swim. Emergency services, including two air ambulance helicopters and a critical care team, responded to the incident.
Speaking on a visit to north-east England, Mr Burnham stated that the government would "look in detail at what happened." He advised people to remember the dangers of open-water swimming, particularly the potential for cold shock, even during hot weather, as a further heatwave is anticipated.