Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, said the incident was a “sobering and heartbreaking reminder that our families, neighbours and communities are what is important”.
“Our seafront is one of the many jewels in the crown of our city, but the sea can be a risk,” he said on Wednesday.
“However, for tonight I shall only be thinking about the families and friends affected by this tragedy.”
Labour’s Sankey said the council had “worked hard to ensure we have the best possible coverage in terms of a lifeguard service, which obviously is increased over the summer months, but it is of course very challenging”.
She added that the council had recently completed a seafront safety review.
The Brighton leg of an annual nationwide protest to hold the water sector to account has also been cancelled because of the incident.
Paddle Out, led by the Surfers Against Sewage campaign group, will see groups gather at more than 50 locations on Saturday.
