Three boys aged eight, 10 and 11 have died after falling through thin ice at a lake near Solihull in the West Midlands.
A fourth boy, aged six, was in a critical condition in hospital after the incident on Sunday afternoon. All four children were in cardiac arrest when they were pulled from the lake at Babbs Mill Park, a nature reserve in Kingshurst.
Emergency crews were initially told six people had been seen on the ice, and recovery search operations continued on Monday.
Members of the public, police officers and firefighters were first to attempt to pull the children to safety, some going into the freezing waters waist-deep. The four boys were then reached by specialist water-rescue trained firefighters.
One police officer had attempted to punch through the ice and had mild hypothermia as a consequence.
The boys 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.
At a press conference at the scene on Monday afternoon, Supt Richard Harris said the affected families were “absolutely devastated”, especially because it was so close to Christmas. “We are supporting the families. We have specialist trained officers who are linking in with the families at this time to offer as much support as we can.”
He said the search of the lake would continue but there were no reports of anyone else missing. “We have to be 100% certain that there is no one else possibly in the water at this time. We will be here for as long as it takes.”
Parents everywhere have been urged to remind their children of the dangers of playing on ice.
The area commander of West Midlands fire service, Richard Stanton, said: “The boys’ deaths are a tragedy beyond words. Yesterday’s incident is a stark reminder to us all of the dangers of open water, especially during the winter months. Frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs can look picturesque, but they can be lethal.
“There are no greater warnings of this than yesterday’s tragic events. We would ask parents and carers to remind their children of the dangers of ice and why they must keep off it. Please help us to avoid this happening again.”
St Anthony’s primary school in Kingshurst, a few minutes’ walk from the park, said it would be closed on Monday because of the incident. It asked for people to keep those affected in their prayers.
Throughout the day, members of the public brought cups of tea and mince pies for the large numbers of emergency services involved in the incident and its aftermath.
Andrea Ansell, 54, who lives nearby, said: “I’ve lived here 28 years and this is the first time anything like this has happened down by that lake. It’s just sadness, but the people and community have been so kind. They’ve been coming down with flowers, organising free McDonald’s deliveries. People are so kind at this really sad time.”
Another local resident said young people had played on the lake in the past, and they called for life rafts to be made available nearby.
Rebecca Prescot, 21, said: “If it happened to my son I would have been devastated. It must be horrendous for the family and friends.”
People laid floral tributes. Among them was the West Midlands mayor, Andy Street, whose note read: “Such a tragedy. So unnecessary. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their most precious gift. May their young lives rest in peace, and may Kingshurst come together to remember them.”
The newsreader Joanna Gosling fought back tears as she broke the news of the deaths on the BBC shortly after 11am. She had to stop as she read the bulletin. “I’m so sorry, this is terrible news, obviously.”
A number of different agencies across the UK issued warnings about the dangers of playing on ice after incidents. In Cumbria, emergency services and a mountain rescue team were called to a pond in Workington on Sunday after reports of children falling through the ice. A group of boys, including one whose leg had broken through the ice but who did not fall in, were spoken to at the scene.
In York on Monday morning, police said they had encountered “four lads standing on the frozen pond, trying to smash the ice with a scooter. They’ve been suitably advised to give more thought to their life choices.”
Saqib Bhatti, the MP for Meriden, said the local community was close-knit. He said: “Our community is devastated by the heartbreaking news that three young boys have died after falling into Babbs Mill Lake yesterday. I thank our heroic emergency services for everything they have done and the people of Kingshurst who have pulled together at this tragic time.”
Ian Courts and Karen Grinsell, the leader and deputy leader of Solihull council, also praised the bravery of emergency service rescue teams. Courts said: “This is just about as bad as it gets … a dreadful situation. We are completely stunned at what’s happened. Clearly our thoughts and prayers have to be with the families in this situation. I can hardly imagine what the families are going through.”
