Two children had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stuck in the middle of a frozen pond in Leytonstone.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) crews were called to Whipps Cross Road, in Leytonstone, on Wednesday (January 7) after two boys became marooned on an island in the centre of an icy pond.
When the ice started to melt, the children were unable to make it back to the edge, our sister title London Now reports.
Firefighters used inflatable rescue boats and specialist water rescue equipment to reach the boys and bring them to safety.
Crews from Leyton, Walthamstow and East Ham fire stations were called to the scene at 4.44pm and were able to rescue the children - with no injuries reported - by 5.35pm.
Following, the incident the LFB has issued an "urgent" warning about the dangers posed by icy lakes and ponds.
Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "We have received numerous calls for rescues involving people who have ventured onto frozen lakes, ponds, and other bodies of water.
"I’m urging Londoners to please take extra care and stay off the ice.
"Walking out on to frozen ponds or lakes is extremely dangerous.
"Never assume that the ice is thick enough to support you.
"It may look sturdy enough to stand on, but it often isn't and can be of variable thickness especially as you move away from the edge where the ice is often thinner.
"If you fall into icy water, the risk of hypothermia is very high and can prove fatal."
The LFB has already taken more than 14 calls to ice rescues in the past week and attended incidents across the capital.
This includes two people stuck on an icy lake in Chingford, children playing on a frozen lake in Enfield and a dog stuck on a frozen lake in Romford.
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