Three children have died following falling into a frozen lake in central England, hit by a severe cold spell with heavy snowfall and frost which is disrupting transport, particularly around London.
Aged eight, 10 and 11, the three boys who were rescued from a lake in Solihull, near Birmingham, in cardiac arrest on Sunday, “might not be resuscitated”, Wests police said on Monday. Midlands.
A fourth boy, aged six, who had been rescued at the same time as them, is still “in critical condition in hospital”, she said.
“Our hearts go out to their family and friends at this deeply moving time,” added police, who say the search is continuing to ensure there are no other victims.
Testimonies indicated that there might have been up to six people who fell into the water.
On Sunday evening, the local fire chief, Richard Stanton, however, had already warned that “given the temperature in the water, the age of those who entered the water and the time they spent in it, it is not it’s more of a rescue operation” but more of recovering bodies.
Rescue services were called at around 2.30pm (local and GMT) on Sunday following being told that children playing on a frozen lake in Barbs Mills Park had fallen into the water.
Released from the icy waves, the four boys in cardiac arrest received immediate resuscitation care and “were hooked up to advanced life support systems during the journey” to two hospitals in Birmingham, explained Cameron McVittie, of the service of local ambulances Sunday night at a press conference.
A police officer deployed to the scene was also taken to hospital following suffering mild hypothermia.
The UK has been experiencing a particularly intense cold spell for several days, with temperatures dropping to -15.6 degrees Celsius in Braemar, central Scotland.
«Coldest night»
Sunday night into Monday was ‘the coldest night so far this year’, said the National Weather Service (Met Office), which issued yellow warning bulletins for snow, fog and frost, particularly in the south-east and south-west of the country, as well as the north of Scotland.
Since Sunday evening, transport has been very disrupted in several regions, including the capital.
Stansted (north London) and Gatwick (south) airports had to close their runways overnight from Sunday to Monday to clear them of snow and many flights were canceled.
Dozens of passengers stranded at airports in the British capital have posted videos on social media showing take-off runways covered in snow, planes stuck on the ground.
Car traffic was also badly disrupted on the main roads around London, with major congestion due to snow and ice on the roads, while rail passengers also suffered major delays and cancellations.
Some schools also remained closed on Monday morning.
