Four children critical after falling into icy lake in Solihull

They were pulled from a lake at Babbs Mill Park.

Author: Jonny FreemanPublished 11th Dec 2022
Last updated 12th Dec 2022

Four children are in a critical condition after being pulled from a lake in Solihull.

Emergency services were called to Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst at 2.36pm after reports of a number of youngsters falling into the ice covered lake.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday evening, West Midlands Fire Service area commander Richard Stanton said reports from the scene and social media indicated that "a number of children had been playing on the ice on a lake and had fallen through the ice".

He said: "When our firefighters arrived, a number of police officers and members of the public were in the water trying to reach and rescue the children.

"Our crews entered the water, swam to the first child and our specialist-trained firefighters, including technical rescue, rescued three further children.

"The children were brought out of the water where they received immediate life-support care from firefighters and our ambulance colleagues."

Asked whether there were any more children missing, he added: "When the fire service arrived at the scene, we were made aware there were up to six people in the water.

"So after rescuing the four children, we have continued the search and rescue operation to confirm whether there were any more in the water."

He added: "The specialist medical advice we have been given on the scene, given the temperature of the water, given the age of those who entered the water and the amount of time they have been in there, this would no longer be a search and rescue operation."

West Midlands Ambulance Service tactical commander Cameron McVittie added that the four children were in cardiac arrest when they came out of the water, and are currently on life support.

He said: "There's no clinical updates at this stage, as stated they were all in a critical condition on arrival at hospital."

"Unfortunately, the children in the water were in cardiac arrest and were receiving advanced life support en route to hospital," he added.

Asked if they know how long the children were in the water for, he said: "Unfortunately not at this stage."

On whether there have been any fatalities, he said: "There is no clinical update at this stage."

West Midlands Police Superintendent Richard Harris told reporters that they would not confirm whether the children were siblings or their gender at this stage.

Earlier, a West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “After being rescued, the four children were immediately assessed and actively treated at the scene by ambulance staff.

"All four were taken on blue lights to hospital, each with an enhance care team travelling with the ambulance crew, with treatment ongoing.

“Two were taken to Birmingham Childrens Hospital and two to Heartlands Hospital. All four children were said to be in a critical condition on arrival.

“The Hazardous Area Response Team continued to work with colleagues from police and fire at the scene until around 6.30pm to ascertain if there was anyone else in the water. Ambulance resources have now stood down.”

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