Solihull lake: 'Hero' police officer tried to punch through ice to save children

Emily Cleary
Updated ·2-min read
Emergency personnel at the scene in Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull after a serious incident where several people are believed to be in a critical condition after being pulled from the lake. Picture date: Sunday December 11, 2022.
Emergency worked throughout the night at the scene where three children died after falling into an icy lake on Sunday. (PA)

A "heroic" police officer who tried to punch through the ice to rescue four children from a frozen lake has had to be treated in hospital for hypothermia.

Three boys aged eight, 10 and 11 died after being pulled from the icy lake at Babbs Mill Park in Solihull, near Birmingham, on Sunday.

A fourth child, aged six, remains in a critical condition in hospital.

At a press conference at the lake on Monday, West Midlands Police praised its officers who, dressed only in normal uniform, waded waist deep into the freezing water to pull the children out of the lake along with firefighters and members of the public.

Police officers at the scene in Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull. Four children are in critical condition in hospital after being pulled from an icy lake in cardiac arrest, while a search operation continues amid fears two more children were involved in the incident. Picture date: Monday December 12, 2022.
Police remained at the scene as the search for anyone else who may have fallen into the lake continued on Monday. (PA)

Meriden MP Saqib Bhatti visited the scene and praised emergency services for their "heroic" efforts.

He said: “There is one officer who has mild hypothermia. In these conditions not to worry about your own safety and just to go after those children is heroic.

“The (search) operation went on all night in these really tough conditions.

BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Police search teams at the scene in Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull. Four children are in critical condition in hospital after being pulled from an icy lake in cardiac arrest, while a search operation continues amid fears two more children were involved in the incident. Picture date: Monday December 12, 2022.
Officers at the scene who waded into the icy lake to try to rescue the children were praised for their 'heroic' efforts. (PA)

“The whole community will be feeling the pain of this. I just hope we get some good news.”

Superintendent Richard Harris, of West Midlands Police, told reporters: “Police officers did go into into the water."

Watch: Three boys have died after falling into lake, police confirm

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They were joined by other members of the other emergency services. Some of the officers went in waist-deep.

“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.”

Members of the public lay flowers near to the scene in Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull. Four children are in critical condition in hospital after being pulled from an icy lake in cardiac arrest, while a search operation continues amid fears two more children were involved in the incident. Picture date: Monday December 12, 2022.
Flowers were laid near the scene in Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull, in tribute to the children. (PA)

Harris said his team were still looking to speak to witnesses, and appealed for anyone with information to contact the force.

Emergency services were called to the nature park at 2.36pm on Sunday, with reports from the scene and social media indicating that children had been playing on the ice and had fallen through into the lake.

Emergency services were made aware that up to six people may have been in the water, with specialist rescue teams continuing to search the lake overnight.

On Monday afternoon, police confirmed they were no longer searching for anyone else.

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