The public are being warned about the dangers of walking out onto the ice after emergency services were called out to reports of two boys falling through the ice at Siddick Ponds near Workington last night.
The call to Cumbria Fire and Rescue came at 3.45pm on Sunday December 11, and they were joined on the scene by Cumbria Police, the North West Ambulance Service, a coastguard helicopter and volunteers from West Cumbria Search & Animal Rescue.
Inquiries and the search continued for almost three hours until it was called off at around 6.15pm after the two boys were identified.
It is believed that one of them did fall partially through the ice but didn’t fully enter the water and Cumbria Police spoke to the boys and their parents.
Rick Ogden, Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service said: “On behalf of all the emergency services, I’m very pleased that the outcome from the incident yesterday was positive and no one was seriously injured or required rescuing.
“I do however want to take this opportunity to remind people of the dangers of walking out onto ice. With temperatures set to remain very cold, struggling to get above freezing over the coming days, many ponds and other stretches of water are at risk of freezing.
“Whilst they may look solid from the surface and tempting to step on, they can be extremely dangerous and very unlikely to hold your weight.
“Parents, please speak to your children to warn them of the potential consequences if someone goes through into the frozen water. Please also keep pets on leads when near frozen water and don’t throw objects onto the ice for them to retrieve.”
Elsewhere in the country, three children died and another remains in a critical condition after falling through the ice on a lake in Solihull yesterday afternoon.
Rescuers are still searching the lake there amid fears that other children are missing but have said they are no longer looking for survivors.
