Four children hospitalized after being removed from Lake Solihull | UK News

Four children have been taken to hospital in cardiac arrest after falling through ice on a lake in Solihull, emergency services said.

West Midlands Police said emergency services were continuing a search and rescue operation at Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst in the city on Sunday.

At a press conference in Birmingham, West Midlands Fire Zone Commander Richard Stanton said reports from the scene and social media indicated that “a number of children had played on the ice of a lake and had fallen through the ice”.

Cameron McVittie, a tactical commander with the West Midlands Ambulance Service, said the four children were in cardiac arrest and were all receiving specialist treatment. Two are being treated at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and two at Heartlands Hospital, also in the city.

McVittie said: “After being rescued, all four children were taken under blue lights to hospital with an advanced care team.

He added: “Unfortunately the children in the water were in cardiac arrest and receiving advanced medical assistance en route to hospital.”

“There are no updates. They are all in critical condition upon arrival at the hospital.

West Midlands Police Superintendent Richard Harris said officers went into the lake along with first responders to rescue the children and search for someone else. He added that an officer suffered from mild hypothermia and had gone to the hospital as a precaution.

Harris said: ‘Four children were rescued from the lake and then taken to hospital.

“On behalf of West Midlands Police, we understand how distressing this is for families and the wider community and we are doing everything we can to support everyone involved.”

They said in a statement: ‘At 2.36pm on Sunday December 11, West Midlands Fire Brigade, together with the West Midlands Ambulance Service and West Midlands Police, were called to Babbs Mill Park in Solihull.

“Reports from the scene and videos on social media indicate people had been playing on the ice of a pond and falling through. Our specialist water rescue teams arrived and acted confidently to take control of the scene and perform rescues using specialist equipment and entering the water.

“The victims received medical assistance at the scene from fire and ambulance personnel before being taken to nearby hospitals.

“The incident is still a search and rescue operation, led by West Midlands Fire Brigade. We would ask people to allow the emergency services at the scene to do their job safely and efficiently.”

West Midlands Police tweeted earlier: ‘We are currently at the scene of a serious incident at Babbs Mill Park, Fordbridge Road, Kingshurst, Solihull.

“A number of people have been pulled from a lake and are being taken to hospital. They are believed to be in critical condition.

“We are working with @WestMidsFire and @OFFICIALWMAS on the scene and will provide further updates in due course.”

Babbs Mill Park is a local nature reserve with a lake, river, wildflower meadows and woodland.

The Midlands, parts of Scotland, South West England, North West England and Wales were hit by snow and ice over the weekend.

A Met Office yellow warning for snow and ice was in place for much of Scotland, as well as parts of Wales and south-west England until midday on Sunday.

Two further snow and ice warnings are in place for the north of Scotland for 24 hours from noon and another for most of London and parts of southeast England covering 6pm on Sunday at 9 a.m. on Monday.