The children are thought to have been playing on the ice.
Two children are thought to be missing and feared dead after four were rushed to hospital suffering a cardiac arrest after falling through a frozen lake in Birmingham, England on Sunday.
The children – who are thought to have been playing on the ice in Babbs Mill Park in Kingshurst, Solihull – were pulled from the water in below-zero temperatures.
Emergency services were notified just after 2.30pm.
At a press conference on Sunday evening, police revealed they had initially been told six children had fallen into the lake.
Reports on Monday morning suggested search and rescue crews had worked through the night.
However, due to freezing conditions, authorities said on Sunday it would “no longer be a search and rescue” operation.
Authorities also confirmed that four children were rushed to hospital where they are in critical condition.
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. pic.twitter.com/lYUB6kZJRK
— West Midlands Police (@WMPolice) December 11, 2022
West Midlands Ambulance Service tactical commander Cameron McVittie said: “There’s no clinical updates at this stage, as stated they were all in a critical condition on arrival at hospital.”
“Unfortunately, the children in the water were in cardiac arrest and were receiving advanced life support en route to hospital.”
He stated that two were taken to Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, while the other two were transported to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Meanwhile, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service area commander Richard Stanton added: “When the fire service arrived at the scene, we were made aware there were up to six people in the water.
“So after rescuing the four children, we have continued the search and rescue operation to confirm whether there were any more in the water.
“The specialist medical advice we have been given on the scene, given the temperature of the water, given the age of those who entered the water and the amount of time they have been in there, this would no longer be a search and rescue operation.”
Stanton also stated that, with the freezing conditions, people should stay away from open water and not venture onto ice.
Superintendent Richard Harris, of West Midlands Police, said that officers from all the emergency services went into the water to help with the rescue, with a police officer later being taken to hospital.
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