Jack Johnson, who was 10 years old, died after falling through the ice of a lake in Solihull, West Midlands, and into the freezing water below. His family wrote a heartbreaking tribute to their son.
On Monday, December 12, it was confirmed that three boys, ages 8, 10, and 11, had died over the weekend after falling through thin ice while playing in the snow.
One of the boys was named Jack. When he saw that the other kids were in trouble, he “ran and tried to save” them.
A source reports that Jack’s aunt Charlotte McIlmurray wrote on Facebook:
My nephew seen one go through the ice and he ran and tried to save them. We are just broken over it and to find out he died trying to save three lads he didn’t even know, that just sums him up, he was amazing.
Another member of Jack’s family, who didn’t want to be named, added:
It has been the most devastating day in our family’s life.
A family friend named Dale Hewitt said that Jack’s grandfather had tried to save him.
[Peter] ran down from where he lives and jumped in the lake to try to save them.
Jack and two other boys died on Sunday, which was very sad. A sixth-grade boy who was pulled from the lake is still in critical condition in the hospital.
People from the public and police officers tried to help the kids, but it was only firefighters who were trained in water rescue were able to get to the group and pull them out of the water.
The children were given life-saving care right away by people from the ambulance and fire departments. They were then rushed to two hospitals in Birmingham: Birmingham Children’s and Heartlands.
All four boys were in critical condition when they were found, and West Midlands Police said on Monday that the 8, 10, and 11-year-olds had died.
Sadly, they could not be revived and our thoughts are with their family and friends at this deeply devastating time. We’ll have specialist officers offering them as much support as we can,
the force said, adding:
A fourth boy, aged six, remains in a critical condition in hospital.
