Solihull tragedy: School ‘devastated’ by death of ‘lovely boy’ who fell in lake

Today West Midlands Police confirmed that three boys – aged eight, 10 and 11 – had died following yesterday’s tragedy, while a six-year-old boy is in a critical condition

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Solihull: Police give press conference after three boys die

A primary school chief has paid an emotional tribute to a “lovely” pupil who died after falling into a frozen lake in Solihull.

Today West Midlands Police confirmed that three boys – aged eight, 10 and 11 – had died following yesterday’s tragedy, while a six-year-old boy is in a critical condition.

Marcus Brain, chairman of nearby St Anthony’s School board of governors, said everyone is “in bits” after the death of a pupil.

He told Birmingham Live : “One of our children has passed away. I have spoken to the family but I’m doing the communication through the school.

The local community is devastated after the tragedy (

Image:

Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

“We have had some additional resource in. The school is open if children want to come in. The staff are absolutely devastated. The lad was a lovely boy.

“Everybody is in bits. We’re all in shock, what’s happened is unbelievable.”

The boys who died did not all attend the same school, it is understood.

The four children were pulled from the lake yesterday afternoon, after police received reports of six youngsters in the water.

Flowers at the scene of yesterday’s tragedy in Solihull, which has claimed three lives (

Image:

Getty Images)

Members of the public joined emergency crews wading into the water desperately trying to save the children.

Today West Midlands Police chief Supt Richard Harris said no one has come forward to report anyone missing, but searches would continue until investigators were “100% certain” no one was left behind.

“The families are absolutely devastated,” Supt Harris told reporters this afternoon. He said officers were providing support for the boys’ loved ones and their schools.

Mr Harris said: “Yesterday evening we had a number of different reports suggesting numbers of young people that may have been in the lake.

Police at the scene in Babbs Mill Park following the heartbreaking incident (

Image:

Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

“These reports don’t match the children that were rescued from the lake yesterday.

“We have to be 100% certain that there’s no one else in the water at this time.

“”It’s important to stress though that that we’ve had no contact from anybody suggesting that there’s anybody else missing, but until we’re 100% sure we’ll be continuing searches through today.”

The police chief said officers had rushed into the water “with no regard to their own wellbeing”, and said one suffered hypothermia after trying to punch through the ice.

Mr Harris declined to reveal whether any adults were with the children when the tragedy happened, but said there is currently no criminal investigation.

Police, ambulance and fire crews were called to the scene yesterday afternoon (

Image:

Joseph Walshe / SWNS)

Confirming the devastating news, a West Midlands Police spokesperson said this morning: “Three boys have tragically died after falling into the lake at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull yesterday afternoon.

“The boys, aged 12, 11 and 8 were rushed to hospital after being pulled from the water.

“Sadly, they could not be revived and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this deeply devastating time. We’ll have specialist officers offering them as much support as we can.

“A fourth boy, aged 6, remains in a critical condition in hospital.”

Specialist teams spent the night scouring the lakes after authorities said it would “no longer be a search and rescue operation” as temperatures plummeted.

This morning’s police statement continued: “Searches of the lake are continuing as we seek to establish exactly what happened and if anyone else fell into the water.

“We understand how distressing this is for the families and the wider community.

“We would ask people to not speculate or share any video footage at this stage.”

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