A huge search operation is ongoing at an icy lake in Solihull amid fears that two more children may be in there, with four children already fighting for their lives.
Emergency services were 'made aware that there were up to six people in the water' when they arrived on the scene at Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst yesterday afternoon (Sunday). Four children have already been pulled from the frozen lake.
They were all in cardiac arrest and are now in hospital in a critical condition. A massive search operation involving rescue teams, firefighters and police continued overnight and is ongoing this morning.
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The incident came after a weekend of snow and freezing frost, with temperatures as low as -10C recorded across the UK. Speaking at at a press conference last night, Richard Stanton, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service area commander, 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."
He later added that they were 'made aware there were up to six people in the water' when firefighters arrived. "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 said.
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."
Cameron McVittie, a tactical commander with West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "On being rescued, the four children were taken under blue lights to hospital with an advanced care team. Two were taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital and two to Heartlands in Birmingham.
"All four children were in critical condition on arrival."
He added: "There are no updates. They were all in critical condition when they arrived in hospital."
"Unfortunately, the children in the water were in cardiac arrest and were receiving advanced life support en route to hospital," he added.
The press conference heard that one of the police officers suffered mild hypothermia and is making a 'full recovery' in hospital.
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