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13th December 2022
09:23am GMT

Jack Johnson bravely ran into the lake to help those in trouble, according to his aunt (Facebook)[/caption]
According to Jack's aunt, Charlotte McIlmurray, the youngster didn't know the other children involved in the tragedy but nonetheless ran in to help those in trouble when he heard screams from the lake.
She posted on Facebook:
“The 10-year-old boy is my nephew. He saw one go through the ice and he ran and tried to save them. “Our prayers and thoughts are with the other family. We are just broken over it. “To find out he died trying to save three lads he didn’t even know, that just sums him up. He was amazing.”It was initially thought that six children were playing when the accident happened, but police said on Monday that they don't believe anyone else went into the lake. Richard Harris of West Midlands Police said officers will continue searching until they can be absolutely certain, saying personell will remain at the scene "for as long as it takes". Temperatures across the UK plummeted over the weekend with lows of just 1C being reported in Solihull at the time of the incident, which fell to -3C overnight. A fire service spokesman said the tragedy highlighted the dangers of frozen water. "It can look picturesque but can be lethal," he said. "Please help avoid this from happening again."
At a press conference held on Monday, Harris, told of the heroic efforts of emergency workers who "went into the lake itself to help rescue the children and to try and assist them as quickly as we possibly could" with one suffering mild-hypothermia after trying to "punch through the ice" to save them.
He said the officer and other emergency workers went in the icy waters without any specialist clothing or equipment, and "without any regard for their safety".
Harris refused to confirm any further details about the boys at the request of their families who are "absolutely devastated".
"It is incredibly sad that we don't not have any better news for you today regarding yesterday's incident. We are deeply saddened by the death of three boys," he told journalists.
Richard Stanton, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Area Commander, said the deaths of the children were a "tragedy beyond words".
He described the incident as a "stark reminder to us all" of the dangers of open water.
Stanton added: "Frozen lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs can look picturesque but can be lethal.
"We would ask parents and carers to remind their children of the dangers of ice. Please help us to avoid this happening again."Explore more on these topics:

Article | Joe.ie
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