Babbs Mill boys' death in frozen lake due to accidental drowning, Coroner concludes

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

The four boys were — brothers Samuel Butler and Finlay Butler, 6 and 8, their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and another boy named Jack Johnson, 10. After the accident, police formed a human chain to rescue the boys. The four lads were pulled out from the lake by emergency men and hospitalized. Thomas Stewart and Jack Johnson were in Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham, and died the same day.

The BBC reports that senior coroner Louise Hunt said she was satisfied that «emergency services did their utmost», and that the «treatment in hospital was good». She added that «everyone did all they could and should be commended for their actions». Dr Sarah Denniston from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital revealed to the inquest that the four boys died due to drowning after resuscitation efforts failed. Jack Johnson was at the lake with another group of children while the two brothers and their cousin were in another group. Jack went on to the ice and was followed by Thomas, Finlay and Samuel, Detective Inspector Jim Edmonds, West Midlands Police, said. Witness reports said Finlay had a fall into the ice and Thomas and Jack tried to rescue him, but they too, fell in. No witness saw Samuel fall in. The boys were heard shouting for help and soon after went under the surface. Edmonds revealed that the cops reached the lake 11 minutes after the first call to 999. Putting their own safety aside, the police went into the lake in search of the boys, using their fists and batons to break through the ice. But the water was too deep to get to the boys. While being taken to hospital, the boys received the best treatment possible, but brain damage and body shock would have been there due to the cold water. Hunt read out