Three boys have died, and a fourth is critically ill in hospital, after they fell through ice and into a lake at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull, near Birmingham, on Sunday afternoon.
The deaths of the boys, who were aged 8, 10, and 11, comes as Britain is gripped by wintry conditions, with more snow predicted for Tuesday and expected to cause difficulties for people travelling to and from work.
A statement by West Midlands Police said the four boys fell into the lake on Sunday and added, “Sadly, they could not be revived and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this deeply devastating time.”
The boys, who have not been named yet, suffered cardiac arrest.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman said: “Obviously this is devastating news for the family and friends of those who have died, this is a tragic incident. The prime minister’s thoughts are with them and obviously he passes his thanks to the emergency services who are continuing to work and provide support.”
Superintendent Richard Harris said some of his officers waded in up to their waists in a bid to rescue the boys.
He said: “One of my officers was trying to punch through the ice to actually rescue the children themselves. That officer as a result of that had some mild hypothermia yesterday. I’m pleased to say that he’s now been released from hospital and he’s absolutely fine.”
‘Stark Reminder’ of Dangers of Open Water
West Midlands Fire Service Area Commander Richard Stanton told a press conference on Monday, “Yesterday’s incident is a stark reminder to us all of the dangers of open water, especially during the winter months.”He said: “Frozen lakes, ponds, canals, and reservoirs can look picturesque but they can be lethal and there are no greater warnings of this than yesterday’s tragic events.”
Stanton urged parents to remind their children to keep off the ice.
Dozens of people, including local children, placed flowers and notes at the base of a tree near the entrance to Babbs Mill Park on Monday.
One from the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said: “Such a tragedy. My heart goes out to the families who have lost their most precious gift.”
Katie O’Driscoll, a mother-of-four who lives nearby said: “Anyone that has got kids can really relate to that we feel heartbroken as a community. The whole community cares—they will be kids that we know because we are a close-knit community. It’s affected everybody. It’s devastating and it’s sad.”
The tragedy in Solihull comes as Britain faces another night of extreme cold.
The Met Office has issued a yellow snow and ice warning for northern Scotland and northeast England from midnight on Tuesday right through until 12 p.m. on Thursday.
Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said there could be “as much as 15 to 20 centimetres of snow accumulating over high ground” on Tuesday.
Thousands of Motorists Breaking Down
Rod Dennis from the RAC said their teams were “exceptionally busy” helping more than 7,500 motorists with breakdowns, a 50 percent increase on an average Monday in December.Sunday night was the coldest night of 2022 in Britain, with a temperature of minus 15.6 degrees Celsius (3.9 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire, northern Scotland.
On Monday morning Britain’s busiest motorway, the M25, was closed in both directions between Junction 23 for South Mimms and Junction 25 for Waltham Cross, in Hertfordshire, by “snow and jack-knifed lorries.”
There were also long delays on the M11 in Essex and the M2 in Kent.
Gritter lorries spread 960 tonnes of salt and more than 18,000 litres of anti-freeze on the M25 on Sunday night.
There was also major disruption on the railways with Great Northern, Southern, Thameslink, and the Gatwick Express all reporting weather-related problems.
The cold snap is the first major test for Britain’s energy companies since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February began to affect gas supplies and the price of energy.
The National Grid said two coal-fired power stations at Drax in Yorkshire, which had been put on stand-by to supply electricity to domestic customers, have been stood down.
The company said the coal-fired stations—which could have provided 1.1 gigawatts—were “tools for additional contingency” if the demand for heating led to supply problems for the nation’s electricity network.
UK next day electricity prices jumped on Sunday and prices were expected to peak during the hours of 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday.
