Children risked their lives to help a dog trapped in an icy lake just days after four boys died in the Solihull frozen lake tragedy.
Firefighters issued a stark warning after the children were spotted walking on the ice at Hemlington Lake in Middlesbrough on Thursday.
A dog had fallen through the ice and firefighters confirmed the animal has now sadly passed away, but issued a stern warning to children and all members of the public to never walk on or enter icy water, reports Teesside Live.
A spokesperson for Cleveland Fire Brigade said: "We have just attended an incident involving a dog that has fallen through the ice on Hemlington Lake. Whilst our crews were in attendance children were seen trying to walk on the ice.
"Frozen ponds and lakes may be very tempting to walk or play on but please stay well away and do not put yourself or anybody else in danger.
"We’d like to encourage our communities and partners to share this message, as well as the StayWise poster.
"In particular to make children aware of the dangers of walking on the ice following the tragic events in Solihull last weekend."
It comes as the families of three of the children who fell into Babbs Mill Lake on Sunday have released pictures of their ‘beautiful boys’.
The Solihull tragedy has captured the attention of the nation as it has now been revealed that brothers Finlay and Samuel Butler and their cousin Thomas Stewart were pulled from the freezing water and rushed to hospital where eight-year-old Finlay and 11-year-old Thomas died a short time later.
Ten-year-old Jack Johnson also tragically died on Sunday. Sadly six-year-old Samuel lost his fight for life on Wednesday.
Cleveland fire service later posted an update confirming that the dog had sadly passed away.
In a Facebook comment, a spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, the dog has sadly passed away and we send our sympathies to the owner(s).
"This is another stark reminder to reiterate the message to stay well away from frozen ponds and lakes!"
A weather warning remains in place for the region until Thursday, just before midnight. However, the Met Office has now issued a new warning for snow and ice between 3am and 9pm on Sunday.
This follows a week of icy cold temperatures on Teesside, with temperatures dropping to -5 degrees in some places on Thursday.
Hundreds of colourful tributes now adorn a shrine set up near Babbs Mill Lake - the scene of the tragedy that claimed the four boys' lives.
Earlier this week Jack's family revealed he died a hero as he lost his life in an attempted rescue of the three other youngsters who plunged into the icy lake.
With no thoughts for his own safety, the heroic schoolboy dived into a freezing lake after hearing the screams of three struggling children.
The 10-year-old paid the ultimate price for his courage as he too got into trouble and died, his family said.
Jack’s aunt Charlotte McIlmurray posted online: “The 10-year-old boy is my nephew. He seen one go through the ice and he ran and tried to save them."
