Four children now confirmed to have died after falling into an icy lake in the West Midlands.
In a statement released earlier this evening, West Midlands Police confirmed that a six year old boy had unfortunately became the fourth child to have died following the tragedy on Sunday.
The statement said:
“It is with heartfelt sadness that we have to report this afternoon, the six-year-old in hospital has lost his fight for life.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of those involved in this tragedy. We cannot comprehend the enormity of the pain they must feel and our hearts go out to them.
“Specialist officers remain in contact with the family and we will issue further information as soon as we can.
“The searches have been completed and the scene of the incident at the lake will be lifted this evening.”
Area Commander Richard Stanton, of West Midlands Fire Service, said:
“The boys’ deaths are a tragedy beyond words. The thoughts and heartfelt sympathies of everyone here at West Midlands Fire Service are with their families, friends and the wider community at this distressing time.
“Sunday’s incident is a stark reminder to us all of the dangers of open water, especially during the winter months.
“Frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs can look picturesque, but they can be lethal. There can be no greater warning of this than Sunday’s awful events.
“We would ask parents and carers to remind their children of the dangers of ice, and why they must keep off it. Please help us to avoid this happening again.
“We will continue to work closely with our emergency services colleagues and provide any support we can at the scene. Again, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to everyone who has been affected by the boys’ deaths.”
