Hull: Girl, 11, was pushed into icy East Park lake, says father

The girl had been playing with her sister and friends in East Park, Hull

An 11-year-old girl had to be rescued by her twin sister after being pushed into an icy lake by a boy, their father has said.

The girls were playing with friends at about 15:30 GMT on Friday when the incident happened at East Park in Hull.

The Malet Lambert School pupil was checked over at hospital and has since made a full recovery, her family said.

The school said it had met with the girl and her parents and Humberside Police said they were investigating.

The incident happened just days before the deaths of three young boys who fell through an icy lake in Solihull.

The Hull girl's father, who has asked for his daughter not to be named, told the BBC: "She had been stood watching as her twin and their friends poked a stick around the edge of the lake, breaking up the ice, when a boy pushed her in near the bridge.

"I fish the lake and I know it's about 3ft-deep there.

"She landed backwards in the water, and was drenched.

"Because of the way it shelves, she couldn't get out. Fortunately, the others helped get her out. As they were doing this, her twin was then hit on the back of the head by a thin piece of ice that had been thrown."

Staying safe near frozen lakes

• Children should not go on the ice under any circumstances

• Stay away from the edge of bodies of water as uneven terrain can make slips and falls more likely

• Whenever possible, stick to well-lit routes away from water

• Keep dogs on a lead when they're near the ice, and don't throw sticks or toys on to the ice

• If a pet falls in, do not go on to the ice nor into the water to rescue them, move somewhere where the dog can climb out and call them to you

Source: Royal Life Saving Society UK

He said his daughter had to borrow somebody's mobile to call her mother because her own phone had been ruined in the incident.

"She was absolutely soaking," he said. "My wife got her home as quickly as possible and got her into a hot bath."

After ringing the police, the couple were advised to take their daughter to Hull Royal Infirmary for precautionary checks.

"She was still shivering hours later," said her dad. "It could have been much worse. We are so grateful to her sister and their friends for getting her out."

He urged others "not to mess around around water", especially in light of Sunday's tragedy in Solihull.

Three boys died and a fourth is critical after falling through a frozen lake in Solihull on Sunday afternoon, police said

In a statement, Malet Lambert School said: "The school has been made aware of an incident in East Park after school on Friday and we met with one of our pupils and their family this morning. We will be working alongside Humberside Police.

"As we do every year, we are speaking to all of our pupils about general safety during the cold weather, with particular reference to East Park lake, being in such close proximity to the school."

Humberside Police said officers were following up on "a number of lines of inquiry" and asked anyone with information to contact them.