Three young brothers have died after falling through thin ice on a frozen pond in Texas, authorities and family members said.
The children went through the ice on a private pond off Recreational Road 3 outside Bonham on Monday, Jan. 26, according to a news release from the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office.
Relatives identified the boys as brothers Howard, 6, Kaleb, 8, and EJ, 9, according to Fox affiliate KDFW.
Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, told the station that Howard was the first to fall beneath the surface — and that his brothers jumped in to try to save him. Hangaman said she then entered the water as well.
“I tried to save them while also trying to keep myself alive. As soon as I jumped in, I locked up. I couldn’t do anything,” Hangaman said.
Hangaman told KDFW that a neighbor later helped pull her from the pond. A high school football coach also attempted to rescue the boys, according to the station.
First responders and a neighbor eventually pulled the 8-year-old and 9-year-old from the water, the sheriff’s office said. They were given medical care and taken to a local hospital, but later died.
The 6-year-old “did not resurface but was later recovered after an extensive search of the pond,” the sheriff’s office said. He later died as well.
The Bonham Independent School District said the boys attended an elementary school in the district, according to NBC affiliate KXAS. The district said counseling has been made available for students and staff.
“We are devastated by this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children,” the district said.
A GoFundMe for the family had raised more than $35,000 as of Tuesday, Jan. 27.
The deaths come as winter weather has turned dangerous across parts of the country. At least 30 deaths have been reported in states impacted by Winter Storm Fern, according to the Associated Press.
