Video: Mourners leave floral tributes and stuffed animals near scene after Babbs Mill Lake incident
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A friend of one of the boys who died after falling through a frozen lake in Solihull said the group fell into the water after trying to save their trapped friend.
Three children aged 11, 10 and eight died after falling into Babbs Mill Lake on Sunday afternoon.
A six-year-old boy also remains in a critical condition, while officers have played down fears that others were trapped in the lake after nearly 24 hours without anyone else being reported missing.
Tommy Barnet, 10, told Sky News he heard details of the tragic incident. He said: “They were all playing on the ice, one got his legs stuck in the ice and then … his friends went to save him but they all fell in.
When the children were finally helped out of the lake by specialist water rescue fire crews, they were found to be in cardiac arrest and were sent to Birmingham hospitals, where they all arrived in a critical condition.
Locals held a vigil for the boys on Monday night near the lake.
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‘Sleep tight angels’: Tributes to the boys
Tributes have been paid to the boys from Solihull.
A BBC reporter shared some he saw this morning:
Zoe TidmanDecember 13, 2022 7:26 am
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Video: Locals hold vigil in Kingshurst for boys from Babbs Mill Lake incident
Solihull – Locals hold vigil in Kingshurst for boys from Babbs Mill Lake incident
Namita Singh December 13, 2022 7:00 am
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Video: Police say they have received no more reports of missing children
Lake Solihull: Police say ‘officers hit the ice’ to save children on frozen lake
Namita Singh December 13, 2022 6:30 am
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“The whole community is feeling the pain,” says the deputy as he praises the rescue efforts
Meriden MP Saqib Bhatti visited the scene on Monday along with Solihull Council leader Ian Courts and deputy leader Karen Grinsell, with each praising the emergency services for their heroic efforts to get the children out of the water
The deputy told reporters: “There’s clearly an officer who has mild hypothermia. In those conditions, to not be concerned for your own safety and just go after these kids is heroic.
“The (search) operation went on all night in these really tough conditions.
“The whole community will feel the pain of this.”
Members of West Midlands Fire Service pay tribute to three boys who died after falling through ice on a lake in Kingshurst, near Birmingham
(PA)
Members of the public lay flowers near the scene at Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull
(PA)
Mr Courts said: “This is as bad as it gets … a terrible situation.
“We are completely shocked by what has happened.
“Clearly our thoughts and prayers must be with the families in this situation. I can barely imagine what the families are going through.”
Temperatures are believed to have dropped as low as 1°C in the area at the time of the incident, dropping to -3°C overnight.
Namita Singh13 December 2022 06:00
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Video: Mourners leave floral tributes and stuffed animals near scene after Babbs Mill Lake incident
Solihull: Mourners leave floral tributes and stuffed animals near scene after Babbs Mill incident
Namita Singh December 13, 2022 5:30 am
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The Solihull incident is a “tragic reminder” of the dangers of open water
West Midlands Fire Service Area Commander Richard Stanton said the deaths of the three boys were a tragic reminder of the dangers of open water.
“Yesterday’s incident is a stark reminder to all of the dangers of open water, especially during the winter months,” said Mr. Stanton on Monday.
A woman in Kingshurst, near Birmingham, looks at tributes left at the base of a tree for three boys who died after falling through the ice into a lake
(PA)
“Frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs may look picturesque, but they can be deadly and there are no better warnings of this than yesterday’s tragic events.
“We are asking parents and carers to remind their children of the dangers of ice and why it should be avoided. Please help us prevent this from happening again.”
Namita Singh December 13, 2022 5:00 am
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Victims’ families were ‘absolutely devastated’
The families affected by the tragedy are “absolutely devastated”, said Superintendent Richard Harris, of West Midlands Police, as he shared the news that three of the four children they pulled from the icy water have died.
The fourth child, aged six, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
“Also this time of year, it’s right around Christmas, so close to the event itself, it also adds to this tragedy,” Harris told reporters.
Flowers lie near the scene after three boys died when several children fell through the ice into a lake on December 12, 2022 at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull, England.
(Getty Images)
“But as you can imagine, the families are absolutely devastated, so we are doing everything we can to support the families.
“And obviously we’re meeting their requests at this point in terms of how much information the families want us to make available to the media, so we’re doing everything we can to support them.”
Namita Singh December 13, 2022 4:30 am
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Police continue to search the lake amid fears of missing people
Police are continuing to search the West Midlands lake to determine if anyone else has fallen into the water, following reports that up to six children may have been involved.
Speaking at a press conference at the entrance to Babbs Mill nature reserve, Superintendent Richard Harris, of West Midlands Police, said: “We need to be 100 per cent sure there is no one else in the water at this time.
“It is important to stress, however, that we have not had any contact from anyone to suggest that anyone else is missing, but until we are 100% certain we will continue to search throughout today.”
Harris added: “Police officers entered the water.
Emergency workers continue to search for more victims after several children fell through the ice on a lake, on December 12, 2022 at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull, England.
(Getty Images)
“Other members of the other emergency services joined. Some of the officers went in waist-deep.
“One of my officers was trying to break through the ice to rescue the children themselves. As a result of this, this officer suffered mild hypothermia yesterday. I am happy to say that he has now been released from hospital and it’s absolutely fine.”
Namita SinghDecember 13, 2022 4:00 am
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A boy fights for his life after falling through a frozen lake
A six-year-old boy who fell through the ice on a lake in the West Midlands is still fighting for his life as a community tries to come to terms with the tragedy, which left three children dead.
Floral tributes, balloons, stuffed animals and lit candles were left by mourners at a vigil held in Kingshurst, Solihull, near Birmingham, last night.
Flowers lie near the scene after three boys died when several children fell through the ice into a lake on December 12, 2022 at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull, England.
(Getty Images)
Three children aged eight, 10 and 11, who fell through the ice at Babbs Mill Lake, have died, while a fourth child, aged six, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
He was pulled from the water by emergency crews, including a police officer who tried to break through the ice during the rescue efforts.
West Midlands Police said no one else had been reported missing.
Namita Singh December 13, 2022 3:33 am
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Local high school prays for dead lake boys
Park Hall Academy, a secondary school near Babbs Mill Lake, said it was aware of the tragic event which resulted in the deaths of three boys aged 11, 10 and eight.
Castle Bromwich School said in a statement on its Twitter feed: “Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved and our local community at this extremely difficult time.
“Please be assured that anyone affected will be supported.”
Liam James December 13, 2022 12:00 AM