SOLIHULL LAKE TRAGEDY: Fourth death reported as 6-year-old boy dies amidst outpouring of grief
SOLIHULL, UNITED KINGDOM: Police have confirmed that a six-year-old is the fourth boy to die after falling into an icy lake in Solihull. The young child had been in a critical condition in the hospital since Sunay afternoon, December 11, following his fall through the ice at Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst.
The tragic incident, which occurred just days before Christmas, left the local community in shock when it claimed the lives of three other boys, aged 8, 10, and 11. The children had been rushed to a nearby hospital after being pulled out. Three of them died immediately after suffering from cardiac arrest.
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In a statement released on Wednesday, December 14, West Midlands Police confirmed the fourth boy, aged just six, had sadly died. The force said, "It is with heartfelt sadness that we have to report this afternoon, the six-year-old in hospital has lost his fight for life. Our deepest sympathies are with the families and friends of those involved in this tragedy. We cannot comprehend the enormity of the pain they must feel and our hearts go out to them." The statement added, "Specialist officers remain in contact with the family and we will issue further information as soon as we can. The searches have been completed and the scene of the incident at the lake will be lifted this evening."
The news of the boy's death comes after footballer John McGinn, the club captain for Aston Villa, and Tyrone Mings visited the carpet of floral tributes to the boys on Wednesday, December 14, as per Daily Mail. Mings, who has 17 England caps and plays center defense for the Birmingham-based club, said, "It was a personal decision to pay our respects. I think it's impacted the whole city. We felt it was important to come down on a personal level just to show that support. Sometimes, as we've seen with other things that have happened across the city, there are things more important than football. We felt it was important to come down here, show our respects and show we were thinking about everything that has happened and the parents that are affected by it. We feel that pain too."
According to authorities, the victims' names will only be made public, officially, if the families agree. On Saturday, December 17, at 4 pm, a vigil is planned near the lake for the young boys whom the locals are referring to as the "Babbs Mills Boys."
