Irish Examiner view: Our hearts go out to the families who lost their children in Solihull

The tragic deaths also remind us to hold our children tight and urge them to take care in wintry weather

Members of West Midlands Fire Service pay silent tribute to the three boys who died after falling through ice into a lake at Kingshurst, Solihull, near Birmingham. Picture: Matthew Cooper/PA

The tragic deaths of three children near Birmingham in England on Sunday is a shocking lesson of the need for caution during extreme weather events, no matter the time of year.

Three boys aged 11, 10, and 8 — as well as a fourth child aged 6 who is still in a critical condition in hospital — got into difficulty after they stepped out onto thin ice on a lake at Babbs Mill Park near Solihull.

The dangers of open water in winter were no more tragically exposed than on this occasion. Frozen lakes and ponds can look like irresistible fun to children and Sunday’s tragedy highlighted the lethal potential at hand in such places.

Coming as it does so shortly before Christmas — supposedly a time of joy and celebration — the deaths are a shocking reminder of how fragile people can become when exposed to weather which completely alters the topography which surrounds us.

There were heartbreaking scenes as police searched for survivors in Babbs Mill Park, Kingshurst, Solihull. Three of the children have died and a fourth remains in a critical condition. 

That children are attracted to new and seemingly exciting escapades in any environment is nothing strange but the fact they will never return to their families as a result of a playtime accident is something that will live forever in the minds of their relations and those tasked with trying to rescue them. 

It was reported that one police officer tried to punch through the ice in an attempt to rescue the children, while others waded into the freezing water to try and save their lives.

The lesson from the Solihull disaster is to hold our children tight and remind them that no matter how old or young, experienced or inexperienced we are, we are never far from disaster unless great care is exercised.