Dublin Fire Brigade has issued a warning to people during the cold weather after the tragic news from Solihull, England, yesterday that three young boys died after they fell into an icy lake.
A fourth boy, aged just six, remains in critical condition following the incident on Sunday, December 11.
Following the news of this tragic accident, Dublin Fire Brigade has issued a warning about the dangers of walking on frozen bodies of water.
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Taking to their Twitter account, @dubfirebrigade, the emergency service described the incident as “tragic” and “heartbreaking”.
They urged members of the public to stay off frozen water, as it will not hold the body weight of any person.
The Tweet said: “Absolutely tragic and heartbreaking news coming from Birmingham.
“Please stay off canals, lakes or rivers that may be iced over. It will not hold your weight.”
The message ended by calling on people to pass the message on to children or teenagers. “Please make your young people aware of this fact,” it said.
It comes as the community of Solihull, near Birmingham, has been anxiously waiting on news about the six-year-old who remains in critical condition in hospital following the accident at Babbs Mill Lake in Kinghurst.
The tragic news was confirmed yesterday that the three boys he was with, aged eight, ten and eleven, had passed away.
Emergency services were first called to the scene in West Midlands at 2.36pm on Sunday. It is understood that they had been playing on the ice when they fell through the lake.
Members of the public and police officers initially went into the chilly waters to try to get the youngsters out, before the children were reached by specialist water rescue-trained firefighters.
Those pulled from the water were given immediate life support by ambulance and fire service personnel before being rushed to two Birmingham hospitals, Birmingham Children’s and Heartlands, where they all arrived in critical condition.
Absolutely tragic and heartbreaking news coming from Birmingham.
Please stay off canals, lakes or rivers that may be iced over. It will not hold your weight. Please make your young people aware of this fact.
[file training picture] pic.twitter.com/7dxy4S76nL— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade)
In an update on Monday morning, West Midlands Police said: “Three boys have tragically died after falling into the lake at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull yesterday afternoon.
“The boys, aged 11, 10 and eight, were rushed to hospital after being pulled from the water.
“Sadly, they could not be revived and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this deeply devastating time. We’ll have specialist officers offering them as much support as we can.
“A fourth boy, aged six, remains in a critical condition in hospital.”
Birmingham Live reports that a “sea of loving tributes” now sits at the foot of a tree near the lake, and the local community has been “rocked” and “devastated” as they await news about the fourth and youngest boy.
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