Grandfather of boy, 10, who drowned trying to save three other boys from a frozen lake calls for schools to teach children about the dangers of playing on ice
- Jack Johnson, 10, had a cardiac arrest and died when he tried to save three boys
- Samuel Butler and brother Finlay and cousin Thomas Stewart, 11 also died
The grandfather of the boy who drowned trying to save three boys from drowning in a frozen lake has called for schools to teach children about the dangers of playing on ice.
Jack Johnson, 10, had a cardiac arrest and died when he rushed to the aid of Samuel Butler, six, and Sam’s brother Finlay, eight, and cousin Thomas Stewart, 11.
His grief-stricken grandfather, Steve, 66, has called for schools to teach young children about the dangers of playing on and in lakes in a bid to prevent further tragedies, according to the Mirror.
The safety inspector told the publication: ‘Schools should show kids a video of what can happen, tell about the dangers of frozen lakes and normal lakes. Kids need to know about the dangers under the water.
‘If you get your leg wrapped around weeds or a rock, you’re not pulling yourself out.’
The grandfather of the boy who drowned trying to save three boys from drowning in a frozen lake has called for schools to teach children about the dangers of playing on ice (Jack pictured with father Kirk)
Jack Johnson, 10, (right) had a cardiac arrest and died when he rushed to the aid of Samuel Butler, six, and Sam’s brother Finlay, eight, (left) and cousin Thomas Stewart, 11
His grief-stricken grandfather, Steve, 66, has called for schools to teach young children about the dangers of playing on and in lakes in a bid to prevent further tragedies, according to the Mirror
Steve revealed that the little boy was playing on the lake at Babbs Mill Park in a bid before the three other boys, who he did not know previously, fell through the ice.
The brave 10-year-old did his best to help the other children but ended up in trouble himself.
‘One of them went through. We were told Jack went to try to give him a hand. The ice wasn’t thick enough, so as soon as he put a bit more weight on it, he went through,’ Steve added.
‘There was a current that day, so they would have gone past the hole within seconds.’
Steve found his son Kirk – Jack’s dad – with the police, freezing after desperately diving in after his boy.
A year on, the heartbroken grandfather still carries a picture of Jack in his work van to help him get through the day, as he said he is now plagued with nightmares.
He revealed that he is tormented by images of the lake with a hole in the middle.
The loss hit Steve in a way he couldn’t have imagined, as he revealed he had to smash apart the old bar in his garden because Jack used to play on it and he just couldn’t handle looking it anymore.
Steve revealed that the little boy was playing on the lake at Babbs Mill Park in a bid before the three other boys, who he did not know previously, fell through the ice
Now Steve has built a new bar and named the garden feature ‘Jack’s Bar’ in his honour.
It was the child’s one-year anniversary on Monday. The family released balloons by his graveside and said the little boy will ‘never be forgotten’.
An initial inquest hearing, held last year in Birmingham, was told three of the boys were rescued after 22 minutes in the water, while a fourth was pulled from the lake after 31 minutes.
Senior Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull Louise Hunt described the circumstances as a ‘devastating tragedy’, as she opened and adjourned the four inquests.
READ MORE: Desperate grandfather of boy, 10, who fell through frozen lake in Solihull with three other children and died ‘ran from his house’ and leapt into the icy water in a heartbreaking rescue attempt
Earlier, she heard Jack, from Kingshurst, and Thomas, of Shard End, Birmingham, were identified by their parents at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, and the two brothers; Finlay and Samuel, also both from Kingshurst, at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
She also heard evidence from Detective Inspector Jim Edmonds, of West Midlands Police, who gave details of how people initially raised the alarm and the subsequent ‘heroic efforts’ of the emergency services to save the boys.
Mr Edmonds said: ‘West Midlands Police first contact at 2.34pm on Sunday December 11, reporting four children playing on a frozen lake at Babbs Mill Park had fallen through the ice, into the water.
‘Further calls were received from other members of the public, also reporting children had fallen into the water, but with some variance as to the number of children involved.
‘Emergency services responded at pace, and at arrival it became quite apparent this was a major incident and there were numerous members of the public at the location, reporting children had tragically fallen under the water.’
He added the police as well as West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service attended.
Turning to the rescues, Mr Edmonds said: ‘The first three boys were located and brought to the bank at 2.56pm, the same day, and approximately nine minutes later, a fourth was rescued from the water.
‘Emergency CPR was performed on the children at the scene and they were taken to local hospitals where they received further treatment,’ he said, adding the boys were at this stage identified.
Mr Edmonds said: ‘Despite the heroic efforts of everybody involved, all four boys have sadly passed away.’
An initial inquest hearing, held last year in Birmingham, was told three of the boys were rescued after 22 minutes in the water, while a fourth was pulled from the lake after 31 minutes
At a vigil this time last year, hundreds more people brought candles, bouquets, children’s toys, and balloons to the spot as people struggled to deal with the scale of the loss. The seven firefighters who tried to rescue the boys were pictured also paying their respects before they left the scene
Jack and Thomas died later on December 11, Finlay, the next day, and his brother on December 14, he added.
He added that ‘all children involved have been accounted for’.
‘A police investigation is ongoing on behalf of the coroner to establish the facts of the boys’ attendance at the lake and also how they fell into the water,’ said Mr Edmonds.
Setting an inquest to be heard on July 6, next year, Ms Hunt said: ‘The scope of the inquest will be to look at the circumstances leading to the deaths and the cause of death.’
She added the inquest would hear a pen portrait of each little boy from a family member, overviews from each of the three emergency services involved about their responses, and evidence of the hospital care given.
‘I think, in respect, it is fair to say they very sadly died from the effect of drowning.’
Having set out the initial cause of death, she added ‘no post-mortem would be required – to preserve the dignity and respect of each little boy’.
She addressed her closing remarks to the boys’ families, none of whom were physically present in court, and said: ‘I’d like to offer you all my sincere condolences.
‘Your boys’ deaths are a devastating tragedy for you all, and it is difficult for us all to comprehend the pain and grief you all must feel at this terrible time.
‘In due course, I hope the inquest will help you understand what happened, including the valiant attempts by the emergency services to save the boys.’
At a vigil this time last year, hundreds more people brought candles, bouquets, children’s toys, and balloons to the spot as people struggled to deal with the scale of the loss.
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