The death toll is growing in England, after several children fell into a frozen lake on Sunday. West Midlands Police, where the tragedy occurred, announced on Wednesday that a new 6-year-old victim had died in hospital, bringing the death toll to four.
The other three victims were 11, 10 and 8 years old.
“It is with the greatest sadness that we have to announce to you this afternoon that the hospitalized 6-year-old boy has lost the fight for his life. Our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those affected by this tragedy. We cannot conceive the immensity of his pain,” police said Wednesday.
Fallen trying to rescue one of their own
On Sunday, four children had fallen into a frozen lake in the town of Solihull, on the outskirts of Birmingham.
According to initial reports, the four children were playing when the leg of one of them fell through the ice, reports the guardian. It was while he was trying to get it out of the water that the other three children with him fell.
During the rescue operations, the children had been pulled from the water in cardiac arrest. Transported to the hospital, three of them could not be resuscitated. The fourth, who died on Wednesday, was in very serious condition.
tribute to the police
Bystanders and policemen had jumped into the water to try to save them, and one policeman had to be hospitalized with mild hypothermia. He had tried to break the ice on the lake with his bare hands.
Concern had continued to grow after the first rescue operations. Some witnesses had raised the possibility that six children were initially in the frozen lake.
But police eventually said the search operations were over: no new disappearances were reported and no new bodies were recovered from the lake.
The emotion is particularly great in the grieving city, where flowers and candles were placed near the lake, reports the guardian. Tribute was paid to the mobilized police officers.
Source: BFM TV
