Babbs Mill Lake: ‘Several’ people critical after ‘falling into freezing water while they played on ice’ in Solihull
SEVERAL people are fighting for their life after falling into freezing water tonight.
Emergency services are still searching Babbs Mill Lake and fear the victims were playing on the ice covering when they fell.
Temperatures in Solihull, West Midlands have remained as low as 1C today as snow and ice warnings covered the country.
A witness said: “I saw firefighters in the lake smashing the ice.”
A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman said: “Reports from the scene and videos on social media indicate that people had been playing on the ice on a pond and had fallen through.
“Our specialist water rescue teams arrived and acted assertively to take control of the scene and carry out rescues using specialist equipment and entering the water.
“Casualties have received medical support at the scene from both firefighters and ambulance personnel prior to being taken to nearby hospitals.”
West Midlands Police confirmed in a statement that a “number of people” have been rescued from the lake and described their condition as “critical”.
Emergency services including police, the fire service and ambulance service are on scene.
Blue and white police tape is currently across the area, according to local reports.
West Midlands Police said: “We are currently at the scene of a serious incident at Babbs Mill Park, Fordbridge Road, Kingshurst, Solihull.
“A number of people have been pulled from a lake and are being transported to hospital.
“They are believed to be in a critical condition. We are working with fire and rescue, and ambulance colleagues at the scene and will provide further updates in due course.
“The incident is believed to have taken place just before 4pm.”
It comes as freezing temperatures were recorded across parts of the West Midlands with conditions currently 1C in Solihull.
Heavy snow has blasted parts of Britain after a freezing -4C night and forecasters believe things will only get worse with the mercury set to plunge to -10C in the coming days.