Panic and fear in the air as children fell through the ice on a lake.
It is now gathered that three of the four kids reportedly battling with their lives in hospital have died despite the efforts of the locals, the police and the physicians while the six-year-old boy remains in a critical condition.
At the moment, divers are continuing an overnight search to save [and find] other children who could be trapped in the ice. The number of children trapped is not known yet.
A local and witness put to words the dreading screams the children made while falling inside the ice, she said:
‘I’m feeling numb. It’s just too close to home and absolutely heartbreaking.
‘I heard the sound of children screaming and I knew it was bad. That sound will go with me to my grave.
‘There was pure panic and fear. I just heard such a commotion and then the most emergency services I’ve ever seen in my life.’
23-year-old Sophie who was at the scene explained how the tragedy happened, she said:
‘I got here with my friends at 2.45pm. There were a group of youngsters playing near the lake which was completely iced over.
‘Two of them had gone onto the lake and people were shouting at them that it wasn’t safe.
‘Then the ice cracked and the leg of one of the boys went in. The other three on the bank then went in to help and soon they were all in trouble.’
One of the cops suffered mild hypothermia in attempt to rescue the children. He was taken to hospital and now recovered.
A 10-year-old fearless boy identified as Jack Johnson was said to have ran into a frozen Solihull lake in an effort to save a group of boys – after he heard them scream.
Unfortunately, he died with them.
The boy’s aunt Charlotte McIlmurray posted on Facebook:
‘The 10-year-old boy is my nephew. He saw one go through the ice and he ran and tried to save them.
‘Our prayers and thoughts are with the other family. We are just broken over it.
‘To find out he died trying to save three lads… That just sums him up. He was amazing.’
Charlotte says the ‘pain is unimaginable’.
Fire service help confirmed that there were total of six children trapped in the lake. West Midland Fire Service’s Richard Stanton told a press conference:
‘When the fire service arrived on scene we were made aware that there were up to six people potentially in the water.
‘After rescuing the four children we are continuing search and rescue operations in the whole lake to confirm whether there are any more in the water.
‘The specialist medical advice we have been given is that given the temperature, given the age of those believed to have entered the water, and the amount of time they have been there, that this would no longer be a search and rescue operation.’
He also pleaded to the locals and children to see open water area as a danger zone, at a time like this.
‘We know the weather forecast for the next few days is expected to be bitterly cold.
‘Under no circumstances venture onto ice, regardless of how thick or safe you think this ice to be.’
It is now reported that some three boys of age six, eight and eleven that also lost the battle to the ice are all from the same family.
