An inquest heard that four young boys who fell through the ice on a frozen lake in Solihull drowned.
On December 11, Finlay Butler, 8, Samuel Butler, 6, and their cousins Thomas Stewart, 11, and Jack Johnson, 10, passed away.
They were taken to the hospital immediately after being rescued from Babbs Mill Lake in Kingshurst, Solihull, close to Birmingham. Finlay, Thomas, and Jack’s deaths were verified on Monday, while Samuel passed away on Wednesday in a hospital.
Three of the boys were recovered after 22 minutes in the water, while a fourth was plucked from the lake after 31 minutes, according to testimony given at the opening inquest hearing on Monday in Birmingham.
As she started and adjourned the four inquests, Senior Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull Louise Hunt referred to the events as a “devastating tragedy.”
She had learned that Thomas, of Shard End, Birmingham, and Jack, a resident of Kingshurst, had been recognized by their parents at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, while the two brothers Finlay and Samuel, who are also residents of Kingshurst, had been identified at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
She also listened to testimony from Detective Inspector Jim Edmonds of the West Midlands Police, who described how the boys were first discovered and the following “heroic attempts” by the emergency services to rescue them.
According to Mr. Edmonds, four youngsters playing on a frozen lake at Babbs Mill Park fell through the ice and into the water around 2:34 p.m. on Sunday, December 11.
‘Additional calls were received from members of the public who also reported that children had fallen into the water, however there was some variation in the number of kids involved.
Emergency services arrived quickly, and it was clear upon their arrival that this was a serious event since many members of the public were there and reported that children had tragically fallen into the river.
In addition to the West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service, he said, the police were there.
Regarding the rescue efforts, Mr. Edmonds stated: “The first three youngsters were spotted and taken to the bank at 2.56pm, the same day, and about nine minutes later a fourth child was saved from the river.
He said that the boys had now been identified. “Emergency CPR was done on the youngsters at the spot and they were transferred to nearby hospitals where they got additional care.”
Despite the valiant efforts of everyone concerned, Mr. Edmonds said, “All four youngsters have regrettably died away.”
Finlay and his brother passed away on December 14 in addition to Jack and Thomas who passed away later on December 11.
All of the youngsters involved, he said, “have been found.”
According to Mr. Edmonds, a police investigation is being conducted on behalf of the coroner to determine the specifics of the boys’ presence at the lake and their fall into the water.
Ms. Hunt announced that an inquest would be held on July 6 of the following year, with the purpose of examining the events that led to the fatalities and the cause of death.
She stated that the inquest will hear a pen picture of each little boy from a family member, summaries of the actions taken by each of the three emergency agencies involved, and proof of the hospital treatment provided.
I believe it is appropriate to remark that they tragically perished as a result of drowning.
To maintain the respect and dignity of each little boy, she said after stating the first cause of death: “No post-mortem would be necessary.”
I’d want to give you all my heartfelt sympathies, she added in her final words to the boys’ families, none of whom were physically present in court.
We all find it difficult to understand the agony and sadness you must be experiencing as a result of the tragic loss of your sons.
“In due time, I hope the inquiry will assist you understand what occurred, including the heroic efforts of the emergency services to rescue the lads,” the coroner said.
She urged that the families’ right to privacy be upheld so that they may absorb their loss and express their grief.
In an effort to cope with the magnitude of the loss, hundreds more people attended a vigil over the weekend and brought candles, flowers, children’s toys, and balloons to the location.
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