Video footage has reportedly been shared online showing four boys screaming for help on a lake in Solihull.
Three of the four boys died following the incident, with the fourth, aged six, still in hospital in a critical condition.
One officer was treated for hypothermia after trying to punch through ice in an effort to rescue children from the lake, police said.
Matthew Cooper
The tight-knit community is still in shock since news broke on Monday that three boys – aged 11, 10 and eight – had died after being pulled from the water.
It is reported that residents in a nearby flat opposite Babbs Mill Park recorded the incident, with the families of the victims said to be “absolutely mortified.”
A source close to the relatives said the families are “very angry” by the footage, saying: “They're absolutely mortified. Very angry. It looks like footage has made it directly to the papers. It's not gone down well at all.”
The detectives investigate the tragedy have asked for members of the public not to share the footage and instead share it with the police: “We understand how distressing this is for the families and the wider community. We would ask people to not speculate or share any video footage at this stage.”
At a makeshift memorial near Babbs Mill lake on Wednesday, people have continued to add bouquets to an ever-growing carpet of flowers while one group tied balloons of red and gold to nearby railings.
Richard Vernalls
It came as a relative of one of the boys who died has spoken of the unimaginable pain faced by the youngsters’ families.
The aunt of 10-year-old Jack Johnson, who is reported to have been trying to save others who fell into the water near Birmingham, used a social media post to thank members of the community for their support.
In a post on social media, Jack’s aunt, Charlotte McIlmurray, described the tragedy as a “nightmare”, adding “that two families can’t wake from the pain is unimaginable”.
“He (Jack) was my nephew, so I know the pain is a million times worse for their moms, dads, sisters/brothers,” she added.
