Four boys who died while playing on frozen lake were feeding ducks and tried to save each other
Witnesses described seeing the boys in the water screaming for help
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Your support makes all the difference.Four boys who died while playing on a frozen lake were feeding ducks when one of them plunged through the ice and the others tried to save him, an inquest has heard.
Finlay Butler, eight, and his younger brother Samuel, six, died alongside their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and Jack Johnson, 10, in what has been described as a ādevastating tragedyā.
An inquest on Friday heard all four fell into the freezing water after going to feed the ducks and skim stones at Babbs Mill Park, in Solihull, West Mids, on 11 December last year.
Birmingham Coroners Court was told Finlay plunged through the ice first before Thomas, Samuel and Jack fell in while trying to help him.
Police said no one witnessed Samuel fall in the water, but āthe assumption is that he had rushed towards the danger to helpā.
Witnesses described seeing the boys in the water screaming for help before they went under the surface during sub-zero temperatures.
Emergency services rushed to the scene at 2pm and police officers ignored safety advice to form a human chain and wade into the lake in a bid to rescue the boys.
Police used their hands to smash through the ice but were unable to find the boys for another 22 minutes until Jack, Tom and Sam were discovered underwater.
Finlay was recovered from the lake at around 3.05pm having been in the water for 32 minutes but nothing could be done to save the boys.
The hearing was told all four boys had drowned.
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Detective chief inspector James Edmonds, of West Midlands Police, told the inquest: āTheyād gone to play on the ice.
āFor reasons unbeknown, the ice has broken away. It has become fragmented and that has resulted in the boys falling through the ice and into the freezing cold water.
āThe impacts of the water temperature would have significantly contributed to the boys being unable to stay afloat.
āItās a terrible tragedy, my heart and condolences goes out to the families.ā
Meanwhile, area commander Alex Shapland, of West Midlands Fire Service, said crews did all they could to rescue the boys who would have gone into shock.
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He said: āWe have a number of different water capabilities to affect water rescues.
āThe water was extremely cold. When you enter water of that temperature your body goes into shock [which makes] it makes it very difficult to function.
āWe could not have done any more in the time we had.ā
Addressing the boyās families, Birmingham coroner Louise Hunt described the deaths as a ādevastating tragedyā.
Family tributes to the four boys were read out ahead of the hearing. Jack was described as an āamazing soulā, while Tom was described as a ākind boyā who āalways had a smile on his face.ā
Meanwhile, Finlayās read: āFinlay was an eight-year-old boy full of character and loved by many. He loved the outdoors regardless of the weather.
āAs his parents, we couldnāt be prouder of the young man he was becoming.ā
Samās read: āSam was the most independent six-year-old that youāve ever met.
āHe was obsessed with dogs and wanted his own sausage dog from Father Christmas. Sam was his own person at such a young age.ā
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