Three young children have died and a fourth is critically ill after falling through the ice on a frozen lake in the West Midlands. Temperatures across the country are reaching lows not seen for more than a decade and the Met Office says cold weather is set to continue.
There are reports some of the boys died after going onto the ice to rescue others who had fallen through. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has now issued urgent advice on what to do if you see someone in the water, reports BirminghamLive.
- Call the emergency services on 999
- Do not attempt to go out on to the ice yourself
- Tell the person to stay still to maintain heat and energy
- Try finding something which will extend your reach, such as a rope, pole or branch
- Throw the object out and, once ensuring you are stable on the bank either by lying down or having someone hold on to you, pull them in
- If you cannot find something to reach with, try finding an object that will float and push that out to them
- Ensure that you keep off the ice at all times during the rescue, continue to reassure the casualty and keep them talking until help arrives
- Once the person has been rescued, keep them warm and take them to hospital even if they appear to be unaffected
David Walker, head of road and leisure safety at RoSPA, said: "With the current weather conditions as they are, it's important that people are especially careful around open waters. If you encounter somebody who is in trouble on or near ice, it's vital that you don't go in too."
