Police have recovered the body of a woman who tragically died in a fishing pond near Thimblemill Recreation Centre in Smethwick, West Midlands, after emergency services were scrambled to the scene on Tuesday afternoon.
West Midlands Police cordoned off the secluded lake near Thimblemill Road after receiving reports at approximately 1.15pm on 15 July. Despite extensive efforts by multiple emergency services, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
The force confirmed the death is not being treated as suspicious and will be referred to the coroner. A West Midlands Police spokesperson said: “The body of a woman was found in water near Thimblemill Road at around 1.15pm yesterday afternoon. Her death is not being treated as suspicious and will be referred to the coroner.”
Our thoughts are with the woman’s family and friends,” the spokesperson added.
West Midlands Ambulance Service deployed significant resources to the incident, including an ambulance, a paramedic officer, a MERIT trauma doctor with critical care paramedic, and the Trust’s Hazardous Response Team (HART). Fire service colleagues assisted in retrieving the woman’s body from the water.
A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “We were called to an incident off Thimblemill Road in Smethwick just before 1pm. On arrival, crews found a woman in the water who was pulled from the water with the assistance of fire service colleagues.
“Sadly, it quickly became clear she could not be saved and was confirmed dead at the scene,” the spokesman confirmed.
The tragedy comes amid heightened concerns about water safety across the West Midlands. Just days earlier, on 10 July, 16-year-old Daniel Drewitt drowned after going missing in Powell’s Pool at Sutton Park, Birmingham.
Daniel’s body was recovered by emergency crews at around 10pm following an extensive search involving West Midlands Police, fire service, ambulance service, and Birmingham City Council personnel. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, the teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Year 11 student at Colmers School & Sixth Form College was described by his family as a “handsome, funny and talented boy” with a “beautiful spirit. In a touching tribute released last week, they said Daniel was “popular because of the beautiful spirit he had” and had been “taken from us way too soon”.
Daniel was a big Birmingham City Football Club fan and would love going to the games with his grandad and friends,” the family statement read. “He had so many dreams and aspirations, and he had his whole life ahead of him.”
The teenager, who played for both Northfield Town FC and Bromsgrove Rovers AFC, was remembered by his school as someone who “brought light and character to our entire school community”. Staff described him as “confident, full of life, a talented sportsman, and so deeply loved”.
A fundraising campaign launched to help cover Daniel’s funeral costs has raised over £8,000, far exceeding its initial £2,400 target. The overwhelming response has left his family “overwhelmed” by the public’s support during their devastating loss.
The Thimblemill Recreation Centre area, located on Thimblemill Road in Smethwick, includes various leisure facilities and is situated near residential areas. The specific pond where Tuesday’s incident occurred is described as secluded, raising questions about access and safety measures around such water features.
Water safety campaigners have long warned about the dangers of open water, particularly during summer months when people may be tempted to enter lakes and ponds to cool down. Cold water shock can occur even on warm days, causing breathing difficulties and potentially leading to drowning within minutes.
West Midlands Fire Service regularly issues warnings about the hidden dangers of open water swimming, including strong currents, underwater obstacles, and the difficulty of judging water depth. They emphasise that even strong swimmers can quickly find themselves in difficulty in unfamiliar water.
The consecutive tragedies have prompted renewed calls for improved safety measures around open water sites and better public education about water safety. Local authorities are being urged to review signage and barriers at potentially dangerous water locations.
Both deaths are being handled by the coroner, with inquests expected to be opened in due course to formally establish the circumstances surrounding each tragedy. Police continue to support both families during this difficult time and have requested privacy on their behalf.
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Image Credit:
Witton Lakes, Birmingham – 2002-10-06 – Photo by Andy Mabbett, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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