Fourth boy dies after falling into ice-covered lake in Britain

A 6-year-old boy became the fourth to die after the children fell into an ice-covered lake in central England earlier this week, police said on Wednesday.

Police on Monday said three other boys, aged 11, 10 and 8, had died after being pulled from Babbs Mill Lake in Solihull in critical condition on Sunday afternoon along with the 6-year-old, who was also in critical condition.

Britain is in the middle of a cold snap, with heavy snowfall blanketing parts of the country on Sunday night and Monday. Temperatures on Sunday night were the coldest of the year.

"It is with heartfelt sadness that we have to report this afternoon, the six-year-old in hospital has lost his fight for life," West Midlands Police said on Twitter.

Police had continued to search the lake after conflicting reports that other children might have fallen in but said on Wednesday those searches had now been completed.