Three children have died and one is in critical condition after they fell into a frozen lake in central England on Sunday, as much of the country grappled with severe winter weather.
The children, aged 6, 8, 10 and 11, were rushed to a hospital in the West Midlands, some 100 miles north of London, after uniformed police officers pulled the children from the frozen lake. The three oldest went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived, police said.
The 6-year-old boy remains in critical condition.
“The death of the children is a tragedy beyond words,” Richard Stanton, of the local fire and rescue service, said during a news conference.
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Emergency services arrived at the scene shortly after 2:30 p.m. local time on Sunday. Local media reported that several members of the public also attempted to assist in the rescue.
Police teams search the scene after children fell through the ice at Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull, England on Monday December 12, 2022. Three of the children died after being pulled from the water.
(Matthew Cooper/PA via AP)
Emergency services worked overnight into Monday morning trying to locate two other children who were reported to be with the group of children. It is not yet clear if those two children were also victims of the incident. However, West Midlands Police Superintendent Richard Harris said authorities have received no contact in relation to any missing children.
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“It’s important to emphasize … that we haven’t had any contact with anyone to suggest anyone else is missing, but until we’re 100% sure, we’ll be conducting searches throughout the course of today,” Harris said.
Harris declined to comment on whether the children were part of a single family.
A person rides a bicycle through the snow in Greenwich Park, London, on Monday December 12, 2022. Snow and ice have swept across parts of the UK, with cold winter conditions set to continue for days.
(Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
Harris also said one of his officers was treated for mild hypothermia but has been released from the hospital.
“The officers went right in, with no regard for their own safety. They went into the water wearing normal pants and shoes,” Harris said.
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A spokesman for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Sunak expressed his condolences, calling it “a tragic incident,” according to Reuters.
“The prime minister’s thoughts are with them and he obviously conveys his thanks to the emergency services who continue to work and provide support,” the spokesman said.
A woman pulls a shopping trolley in a snow covered residential area in Leytonstone, London, Monday, December 12, 2022. Snow and ice have swept across parts of the UK, with cold winter conditions set to continue for days.
(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
The incident is presented as the UK is facing heavy snowfall and extremely low temperatures. Snow has blanketed parts of Britain since Monday morning, disrupting air and ground travel.
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Parts of the London Underground transit system have been suspended or delay warnings issued. London’s Gatwick and Stansted airports warned that flight schedules could be disrupted as a result of the weather.
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Temperatures have already dipped to -15 degrees Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) in northern Scotland, with the Met Office confirming it as the coldest night of the year. Additional weather warnings will be issued across Scotland and the north east of England from Tuesday.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
