'The current took her' - Friend of teen pulled from water in Midlands park speaks out as tributes laid

Tributes have been laid on a bridge in a Midlands country park where the body of a teenager was pulled from the water earlier this week.

Flowers and teddies were seen strapped to the bridge with messages of tribute to the 16-year-old girl named locally as Lillianna Tomlinson.

Her body was recovered from water at Kingsbury Water Park, near Sutton Coldfield, shortly after 7.20pm on May 25. Despite the best efforts of emergency service crews, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Specialist police teams, a helicopter crew, firefighters and ambulance personnel had all been called to the park, east of Sutton Coldfield, shortly after 6pm following concerns for the welfare of a girl.

Ruby Collins, 18, a closed friend of Lilliana, claims the 16-year-old was taken by the current after dipping her feet in the water.

Speaking to the Express & Star, she said: “She didn’t jump off the bridge, she was simply just dipping her feet in the water and the water drops at a certain point, quite quickly, how deep you get into the water.

“The current just completely took her from there, she got tangled in something and that’s when she lost her life. It was just an accident.”

She added that she “feels for the family and sends love to them” as “anybody that was here they need as much support as they want” and called for people not to leave negative comments online blaming the parents after seeing some online.

Lillianna was a Year 11 pupil at Kingsbury School. Headteacher Martin Clarke said it was "with great sadness" the school had to confirm the death of one of its students and confirmed that the school would open for two hours on Thursday (May 28) for students, staff and parents to come together.

In a letter to parents Clarke said: "Our thoughts are with Lillianna's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time."

The school said support was being put in place for students, including access to pastoral and safeguarding staff, bereavement support, and drop-in sessions with the school nurse team. A book of condolences will also be made available.

However, the school also urged parents and carers to be mindful of speculating on social media, adding: ”We kindly ask that the privacy of Lillianna's family and friends is respected at this time."

Yesterday (May 26), Staffordshire Fire Service issued an urgent safety warning to anyone trying to cool off during the heatwave following the death.

A spokesperson for the fire service said: “Sadly, a teenage girl has died in a lake not far from our border yesterday evening.

“Our thoughts are with the girl's family, friends and our emergency service colleagues.

“We know the weather is extremely hot and open water is appealing to cool off in, but please be aware of the dangers and ensure your children are too. We don't want to be reporting a similar tragedy - so our plea to you is to enjoy the sun safely.”

A statement from Atherstone & Coleshill Police on Monday said: “We can confirm that sadly the body of a teenage girl was recovered from the water shortly after 7.20pm.

“Despite the efforts of emergency services, she was pronounced deceased at the scene. Her next of kin has been informed and they're being supported by specially-trained officers.

“Over the coming days, we'll have officers in the area providing reassurance, so if you have any questions, please speak to them. An investigation into the circumstances has begun and we'd ask people to avoid speculation.

“Our thoughts remain with her family and friends during this difficult time.”

A West Midlands Ambulance spokesperson said: “We were called to reports of a patient in the water near to the junction of Coventry Road and Mill Crescent at 6.07pm. One ambulance, two paramedic officers, the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance attended the scene.

“Ambulance staff worked closely with fire and police colleagues to rescue the patient, a teenage girl, from the water and immediately began providing treatment. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards it was confirmed nothing could be done to save her and she was confirmed dead at the scene.”