Jack Johnson, brothers Finlay and Samuel Butler and their cousin Thomas Stewart died after falling into the icy lake
By Andy Giddings & Phil Mackie
BBC News, West Midlands
Four boys died when they went on to a frozen lake near Solihull after they fed ducks and skimmed stones, an inquest heard.
Finlay Butler, eight, and his younger brother Samuel, six, died, as did their cousin Thomas Stewart, 11, and another boy, Jack Johnson, 10.
They went into the water at Babbs Mill Park on 11 December 2022.
The inquest heard Finlay fell through the ice first and Thomas and Jack then fell in when they tried to help him.
Nobody saw Samuel fall in and Det Insp Jim Edmonds, from West Midlands Police, said the boys went initially to feed the ducks and skim stones.
Jack arrived with one group of children and the other three with another, he said.
Jack then decided to go on the ice and Thomas, Finlay and Samuel followed.
After they fell in, witnesses said they saw the boys in the water, shouting for help, but they could not get out and a short time later they went under the surface.
Det Insp Edmonds said his officers were there 11 minutes after they got the first 999 call.
They ignored safety advice, took off their body armour and waded in to form a human chain, he added
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