The four children who died after falling through ice into a lake in Solihull have been named as brothers Finlay and Samuel Butler, their cousin Thomas Stewart, and Jack Johnson.
The four boys were pulled from the freezing Babbs Mill lake in cardiac arrest on Sunday and taken to hospital, where eight-year-old Finlay, 11-year-old Thomas and 10-year-old Jack died a short time later.
Six-year-old Samuel was left fighting for his life, but police confirmed he died on Wednesday.
In a statement, the family of Finlay, Samuel and Thomas said: “We are devastated at the loss of our beautiful boys Tom, Fin and Sam in such tragic circumstances. We would like to thank the emergency services for all they did in rescuing the boys and to the community for their support, it has been overwhelming.
“We would like to pass on our condolences to Jack’s family at this very sad time, and ask for privacy from the media to begin to grieve.”
Thomas’s older brother paid tribute to him and his cousin Finlay before the news that Sam had died.
He wrote: “Thomas was such a lively little soul, he had a big heart for such a young kid and he was so beautiful. He loved being outside playing with his mates. I love you Tom, big bro will take care of the family and I will see you soon. Make sure you keep practising on war zone and get a win, will you?
“Can’t forget about my dinosaur man Fin, he loved dinosaurs so much and always showing me new things he built on Minecraft and all the new stuff he learnt on it. Gonna miss you little man.”
It is believed the children were playing on the lake when one of the boys became stuck in the ice, and they all fell into the water while trying to help him.
St Anthony’s Catholic primary school said in a statement it was “in a state of shock” over Jack’s death.
“Jack was a loving, bubbly pupil with a heart of gold. Someone who would always check in on others and make sure they were doing OK,” the headteacher, Cieran Flaherty, said.
“He was a joy to teach and a child who we are all so very proud of. A ray of sunshine who would never fail to make us all smile. We can only say thank you to him for brightening up our lives.”
Police carried out extensive underwater searches after initial reports suggested up to six people may have fallen into the lake, and these have now concluded.
Supt Rich Harris said: “This is a tragedy beyond words and a grief that is unimaginable for the families and friends of the boys.
“The support from the community has been overwhelming, not just for the bereaved families, but also for the emergency services, for which we are extremely grateful.
“Our officers will remain in the area in the coming days. Please come and speak to us if you need to.”
A large memorial has formed next to the lake, in the Kingshurst area of Solihull, where residents have left candles, balloons, toys and cards, many written by schoolchildren who knew the victims.
One note addressed to Thomas said: “The world will not be same without you”, while another thanked Jack “for being there for me when I was sad”.
One girl left a note reading: “I will come here to visit all the time. I will never forget about you. I would do anything to spend one last day with you.”
Staff from nearby John Henry Newman Catholic college and Kingshurst primary school visited the scene on Wednesday, while a contingent of police officers also paid tribute, to applause from bystanders.
One police officer was treated in hospital for mild hypothermia after punching through the ice to try to reach the boys.
