Three children died after falling into a frozen lake in central England, due to a severe cold wave accompanied by heavy snowfall and frost, which disrupted transportation, especially around London.
These three boys, aged eight, 10 and 11, who were rescued on Sunday afternoon from cardiac arrest by lifeguards at a lake in Solihull near Birmingham, “could not be resuscitated”, West Midlands Police said on Monday.
She said the fourth boy, aged six, who was rescued at the same time as them, was still “in critical condition in hospital”.
“As you can imagine, the families are completely broken up. The fact that Christmas is approaching (…) adds to the tragedy,” Richard Harris, of West Midlands Police, told a news conference.
The search continues to ensure there are no other victims as witness accounts indicated that up to six people may have fallen into the water.
“We have not been contacted by anyone to suggest anyone else is missing, but until we are 100 per cent sure we will continue the search throughout the day,” said Mr. Harris.
This incident “reminds us of the dangers” of bodies of water during the winter as confirmed by local Fire Department Chief Richard Stanton during this same press conference.
He added that “frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs may look beautiful, but they can be deadly,” calling on families to remind children “of the dangers of ice (…) in order to prevent this from happening again.”
The UK has been experiencing a particularly severe cold spell for several days, with temperatures dropping to -15.6°C in Braemar, central Scotland.
The National Weather Service (Bureau of Meteorology), which has issued Yellow Warnings for snow, fog and sleet, especially in the southeast and southwest, said Sunday night through Monday was the “coldest night so far this year.” , as well as northern Scotland.
These bad weather conditions caused major transportation disruptions in several regions, including the capital.
Stansted (North London) and Gatwick (South) airports were forced to close their runways overnight from Sunday to Monday to remove snow, and many flights were cancelled.
Dozens of passengers stranded at airports in the British capital have posted videos on social media showing runways covered in snow and planes stuck to the ground.
Motor traffic was also severely disrupted on major roads around London, with heavy congestion due to snow and icing on the roads, while rail commuters also suffered significant delays and cancellations.
Some schools also remained closed Monday morning.
