Man dies in fall through ice on Doggett's Lake in Essex

A man has died in hospital after falling through ice on a lake in Essex.

The emergency services were called to Doggett's Lake at Rochford near Southend on Sunday afternoon to reports that a man had fallen through the ice.

The man, said to be in his 30s, was about 100m (110 yards) from the shore of the lake when he was pulled out by fire crews.

Martyn Hodder from Essex County Fire and Rescue said just minutes in icy water was enough to kill.

"Incidents like this show how important it is not to walk on the ice, ever," he said.

"There is no way to tell whether or not the ice will hold your weight and by the time you find out it won't it is already too late.

"The witnesses to this did the right thing by calling on crews and waiting on the bank - no-one should go on to the ice even to rescue someone else.

"Had they tried to help him there could have been more people that needed to be rescued."