Solihull lake tragedy: coroner rules deaths of four boys who fell into frozen lake 'an awful, tragic accident'

A senior coroner has ruled the deaths of four young boys who died after falling into a frozen lake as an “awful, tragic accident”.

Brothers Samuel Butler, six, and Finlay Butler, eight, had been playing on the frozen Babbs Mill Lake in Kingshurst, Solihull, with their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and Jack Johnson, 10, on 11 December last year. The boys had reportedly gone to feed the ducks, but the ice gave way under their feet and they fell in.

Jack and Thomas both died at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital on 11 December, while Finlay and Samuel both died at Birmingham Children’s Hospital on 12 and 14 December respectively. Their cause of death was earlier found to be the effects of drowning with three of the boys rescued after 22 minutes in the water, while the fourth pulled from the lake after 31 minutes.

An inquest at Birmingham and Solihull Coroner’s Court in Birmingham on Friday (7 July) heard police officers has formed a human chain and entered the freezing lake against medical advice to try and save the four children.

Detective Inspector James Edmonds from West Midlands Police described how officers first arrived on the scene at 2.43pm after receiving multiple 999 calls - the first coming in at 2.34pm.

“The boys were not visible as they were under the water. Officers made the decision to enter the lake," he said, using their fists and batons to break through the ice. "They formed a human chain and tried to reach the location they thought the boys had gone under. The medical advice would have been not to go in, but our main duty is to save life and limb.”

He explained how the officers tried their best to reach the boys, with one of the officers up to their chin in freezing cold water, but it was too deep to get to them. “The air temperature that day was five degrees, so the water would have been much colder than that. Despite their best efforts, they were simply unable to reach the area."

The physical impact on the officers had been quite significant "in terms of their body temperature", he added.

West Midlands Fire Service arrived on the scene at 2.50pm and specially-trained officers entered the water to find the boys, with Jack, Thomas and Samuel found under the water at 2.56pm and Finlay found at 3.05pm, before they were taken to hospital.

The inquest continues.