Solihull witness says ‘no words can describe’ watching kids’ bodies be pulled from lake

A Solihull man says he felt ‘helpless’ while watching police officers desperately try to save the boys who’d fallen through the ice while suspected family members were ‘hysterical’

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Solihull: Police give press conference after three boys die

A witness at the scene where three boys died in Solihull says he felt “helpless” seeing their bodies being pulled from the icy water.

The children aged eight, 10 and 11 died after falling into a frozen lake yesterday, while a fourth boy aged six remains in a critical condition.

The tragedy unfolded at a lake at Babbs Mill Park in the town, where officers dived into the water with no regard for their own safety, before underwater teams searched through the night.

Officers are still searching the scene today after witnesses reported seeing six children, but West Midlands Police Chief Superintendent Richard Harris said no one had come forward so far to report anyone missing who could fit the bill.

Local man Dan Hall, 38, says he rushed to the scene after hearing a commotion at about 2:40pm.

Emergency workers continue the search for further victims after a number of children fell through ice on a lake (

Image:

Getty Images)

“It’s quite common to hear sirens around here but when you’re hearing a lot more you start to worry,” he said.

“I ran down to where it was and there was a girl on a bike about 13 with a younger girl, I presume her sister.

“I asked her ‘what’s going on?’ and she said there were some kids on the lake and said ‘my brother my brother’.

“She was hysterical. The older one was saying to her, ‘don’t think like that’.

Emergency workers are continuing to search Babbs Mill Park in Solihull (

Image:

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

“I saw a police officer walking up and he was drenched. You just feel helpless.

“I got down there and saw a few more people and it was hysterical.”

Families of the children involved were “absolutely devastated”, Chief Supt Harris told reporters, with special support being offered.

Dan added: “I saw a guy down there and it was possibly his son and he had a police officer consoling him. He was screaming.

“Then they pulled the first one out. I took my jacket off and gave them my coat and stuff.

“They’d already been under there 10-15 minutes or so.

Flowers are left near the scene after three children died when a number of children fell through ice on a lake (

Image:

Getty Images)

“I gave my coat and I ran back up to my home to get more stuff.

“I saw the second kid get pulled out and there’s no words to describe it.

“I was seeing a child who was clearly dead.

“I grabbed a few more jackets and towels and ran back and just handed them over. By this time they’d had the third one out.

“Eventually they started wheeling them up and they were still pumping the kids on the stretchers.

Emergency workers resume searches to determine if there was anyone else in the water (

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Getty Images)

“From what I heard one was seven but he didn’t look much older.

“One didn’t even have a top on, they were still performing CPR.

“It’s freezing there. When I went down the second time there was a grown man getting his legs seen to as he’d gone in the lake.

“From what I heard it sounds like one has gone out, fallen through and then the others have gone to help.”

Police search Babbs Mill Park near Solihull in Birmingham where four children were pulled from an icy lake (

Image:

Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror)

Dan added: “There was definitely a couple of people gone into the lake and a few officers.

“The girl who I saw initially on the bike I spotted her crying and I asked if she was alright, she said no. Her brother was probably one of them.”

Another local resident called Jantina said it was common for kids to play near the water.

She said: “There was a lot of activity, the divers going in and the stretchers going out.

Tributes have been left at the scene by mourners (

Image:

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

“It’s a common place for kids to play especially in the summer. You just do what you can.”

Chief Supt Harris said police would remain at the scene until they could be sure nobody else was in the water.

“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.”

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