Tragic Ice Lake Disaster in Solihull: Three Boys Dead, One Critical
Heartbreaking Rescue Attempt
The horror unfolded at Babbs Mill Lake, Solihull, when ice gave way beneath a group of children playing. Jack Johnson, 10, known locally and described by his aunt Charlotte McIlmurray as a hero, tried to save kids he didn’t even know. “He ran and tried to save the other children,” she said on Facebook, tears evident in her words. Sadly, Jack and two other boys, aged eight and eleven, died after being pulled from the icy water on Sunday. A fourth boy, just six years old, remains in critical condition in hospital.
Family & Community Devastated
Dale Hewitt, a family friend, told how Jack’s grandfather Peter jumped into the freezing water in a desperate bid to save the boys. “It’s just heartbreaking for the family and will have a massive impact on the entire community,” said the 29-year-old roofer. “I have two children myself, and watching a video with screams of ‘Help!’ was excruciating.”
“We are just broken over it and to find out he died trying to save three lads he didn’t even know — that just sums him up, he was amazing.” – Charlotte McIlmurray
Witnesses Recall Tragic Moments
Local ten-year-old Tommy Barnet recounted the terrifying incident: “One got their legs stuck in the ice and then his friends went to save him, but they all fell in.” Firefighters arrived to find all four boys in cardiac arrest. Members of the public had bravely jumped in to help before emergency services treated the children and rushed them to hospital.
Witness Dan Hall, 38, watched from his flat nearby. He heard sirens around 2.30pm and saw a girl screaming, “My brother! My brother!” while another tried to comfort her. “I saw a police officer drenched emerge from the lake,” he said. The chilling water temperature was just 1°C, dropping to -3°C the night before.
Community Calls for Safety Measures
Residents mourn and demand action. Mother-of-four Katie O’Driscoll said, “I think they should put railings all the way around it.” Currently, barriers protect just a small section of the lake’s edge, which is reportedly no more than 5ft deep.
“To my friend Thomas, thank you for being there when I needed you… To me, you were like a brother. I really miss you.” – Tribute at the lake
West Midlands Police Superintendent Richard Harris described the families as “devastated.” First responders battled to punch through the ice and save the boys, suffering hypothermia themselves in the desperate effort. The community remains united in grief and shock as they rally around those affected just weeks before Christmas.
