It's been a year since the tragic events of the Babbs Mill Boys unfolded here in Kingshurst in Solihull. The lasting impact of the deaths of the children impacted not just the families of the boys who lost their lives, but everyone here directly and indirectly involved in the terrible happenings. Twelve months on, the loss is still felt.
Category
đ
NewsTranscript
00:00 One thing that struck us as a service after this incident was just how much it affected
00:09 the local crews and those that attended that incident.
00:12 And, you know, when you see the news footage after the incident of crews laying flowers
00:17 down at the makeshift memorial by Babs Mill Lake in the days after the incident, we didn't
00:25 tell them as a service to do that.
00:27 There was no expectation on them to do that.
00:29 That was driven locally by crews who, you know, wanted to pay their respects.
00:35 A whole year has passed for this place and the people in it.
00:39 365 days since misfortune befell Little Finn, Sam, Tom and Jack.
00:44 But their loss is still keenly felt.
00:47 For the close-knit community of Kingshurst, the wound may never fully heal.
00:51 And a year on, is the community still as profoundly affected as the day it happened?
00:55 Well I think, yes, the community is still affected.
00:58 I mean, this is something you cannot forget.
01:00 And especially for those who are very close to the families, those who know them, of course
01:06 they are very much affected.
01:08 Other people are probably affected and then moved on, life moves on.
01:13 But indeed, you know, a tragedy like that you cannot forget.
01:16 And people are still affected.
01:17 People are still talking.
01:18 Some people are still talking about it.
01:19 Why did this particular tragedy resonate with so many people?
01:23 And what can we learn from what happened a year ago?
01:26 Because Kingshurst was my first home, I was a toddler here.
01:29 I mean, you know, it's such a beautiful lake, isn't it?
01:31 It's a place that people, children are going to come to play.
01:34 It could have happened to anybody.
01:37 As we look back a year on, since the boys fell into the lake and later lost their lives,
01:42 emergency services are keen to not only remember the tragedy, but share a public safety message
01:48 to try to ensure other families avoid the heartache felt here in Kingshurst.
01:54 We offer advice around what you do if you fall through the ice, you know, which is around,
01:58 you know, trying not to panic, although I appreciate that would be very difficult, conserving
02:03 energy but also calling out for help.
02:06 However, what we've got to be realistic about, though, is that even if you are to do all
02:10 of those things, it doesn't necessarily mean it's going to work.
02:14 The best thing to do is to think twice and stay off the ice.
02:18 If you don't go onto the ice, it's not going to pose you a problem.
02:22 If you see somebody in distress, not to go onto the frozen lake or waterway to try and
02:28 rescue them or help them, because that potentially is going to result in yourself going through
02:33 the ice as well.
02:34 It's to call 999 and ask for the fire service.
02:38 Here as you can see by this plaque dedicated to the Babs Mill boys, people continue to
02:43 leave gifts, flowers and other tributes to this day.
02:47 Time may indeed continue to pass, but for the families involved, things will never quite
02:52 be the same.
02:53 These boys may be lost, but Finlay Butler, Samuel Butler, Thomas Stewart and Jack Johnson
02:59 won't be forgotten.
03:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]