Four in critical condition as search continues at Solihull lake

Emergency services were called to Babbs Mill Park in Kinghuhrst, a nature park in Solihull, on Sunday with reports that children, who had been playing on the ice, had fallen through and into a lake.

Police, fire and ambulance chiefs told a press conference on Sunday that four children had been rescued from the water in cardiac arrest and taken to hospital in critical condition.

The emergency services had been told that up to six people may have been on the water, and continued their search overnight.

Richard Stanton, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service area commander, told the press conference: “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.

It comes after a weekend of snow and freezing frost with the severe conditions set to continue over the next few days, including temperatures as low as minus 10C.