'Amazing' Boy, 10, Sacrifices Life Trying to Save 3 Kids Drowning In Frozen Lake

A cold winter day out playing on a frozen lake quickly turned tragic after three young children fell through the cracks. A heroic boy dove in to save his playmates, only to lose his own life in his courageous effort to rescue the other children.

Everyday heroism is something to be applauded as this often stems from a place of genuine care for others. Sometimes though, things don't go according to plan.

In times of danger, we've seen through history that even those who rush in to help can find themselves in compromising positions. Most of the time, responders end up risking their lives—and even sacrificing their lives—to save other people.

An Unfortunate Accident

In the town of Solihull in England, this is exactly what happened when Jack Johnson heard the piercing screams of children about his age. The children had been playing by a frozen lake when they plunged into the icy waters and were trapped under the ice.

After seeing that the children, aged 11, 8, and 6, were in trouble, 10-year-old Jack Johnson decided to dive in to help bring the three struggling children to safety. Heartbreakingly, he paid the ultimate price for his courage—his own life.

According to eyewitnesses, the children were playing on the frozen lake when a patch of ice fell through. Jack immediately rushed to help them. After cries of help were heard in the lake, one of the first responders was Jack's grandfather, who desperately dove through the icy lake to save the children.

A Courageous Rescue Operation

Neighbors soon joined him and called emergency services to do a rescue operation to try and save them. One heroic officer tried to punch through the ice to save the boys, causing him to be treated for mild hypothermia.

Unfortunately, by the time they were rescued, it was too late. The families of the children were devastated by what happened, and the police force is trying its best to support them as much as possible. "It's the most devastating day of our lives," a family member admitted.

One of Jack's aunts paid tribute to her nephew on Facebook saying, "He was amazing," adding that his courageous act said a lot about him.

The four children were brought to the hospital in critical condition after suffering cardiac arrests. Unfortunately, Jack, the 8-year-old boy, and the 11-year-old named Thomas did not make it. The six-year-old boy they were with remains in critical condition at the hospital.

A Grieving Community

Community members couldn't help but feel for the grandfather who risked his own life to try and save his grandson. One particular community member told the press how difficult it was to watch videos of the whole situation. He said:

"I saw a video taken from one of the tower blocks where you can hear these screams of 'help' coming from the lake. It was unbearable."

After news of their tragic deaths hit town, dozens of people flocked to the lake to pay tribute in a makeshift shrine. They also hosted a vigil for the children, which was attended by hundreds of locals.

One of the boys' schools has closed its doors to pay its respects to one of their fallen students. The chairman of their board of directors, Marcus Brain, paid tribute to the child, saying: "The lad was a lovely boy. Everyone is in bits. We're all in shock."

The Public Expresses their Sympathies

Richard Stanton, a commander in the fire department, reminded the public that tragedies like this one are a "stark reminder" of the dangers of frozen lakes. He shares that these lakes look picturesque but "can be lethal." Comments online have echoed this sentiment, calling for parents to be more vigilant of where their children play, especially during the winter.

"A very sad loss. Parents need to talk to there [sic] children about dangers and maybe keep them at home in this cold weather." – Martin Kay (December 13, 2022)

"I can not even comprehend the heartache that these families are suffering right now and sending love and prayers to them, doesn’t mean a thing I’m sure, but I’m totally confused to why a young group of children are unsupervised on a frozen lake, correct [me] if I’m wrong and the watching parent couldn’t help at all so sad." – Juliette Breen (December 13, 2022)

While some questioned why there was no adult supervision at the time, many others asked for such judgments to be suspended, especially when the families involved were still grieving the heartbreaking tragedy.

"I think recriminations are best left unsaid at this time, their families do not need our judgement just our compassion and empathy. RIP little ones fly high." – Claire Lowe (December 13, 2022)

"Lost my daughter 16yrs ago maybe some people need to think how this family feel my heart breaks for them x" – Jackie Grove (December 13, 2022)

People continue to pay their respects to the young children while being reminded of the extreme dangers that frozen lakes pose to anyone. Many have reminded their loved ones about the risks these lakes pose, hoping to avoid fatal accidents like this one from ever happening again.

Click here to read about a 14-year-old hero who died saving a drowning friend swimming in an open canal.