Three young brothers died after falling through the ice on a private pond in Fannin County, marking the second fatal accident involving North Texas students this week, authorities said.
The boys, ages 6, 8, and 9, were on a private pond off Rec Road #3 just outside Bonham when the youngest fell through the ice first, prompting his siblings to jump in to help, relatives told Fox 4 KDFW.
Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, said she ran to the pond and entered the water to rescue them.
“I started running toward the pond, and I jumped in. I tried to save them while also trying to keep myself alive,” Hangaman said, per Fox 4. “As soon as I jumped in, I locked up. I couldn’t do anything.”
She added, “It was one of me and three of them, and they all needed me at one time. I just couldn’t … I couldn’t save them.”
A local high school football coach assisted in the effort, and Hangaman was eventually pulled from the water by a neighbor.
First responders from multiple agencies, including the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Game Wardens, Bonham Fire Department, Bonham Police Department, Lamar County emergency responders, Fannin County Emergency Management, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, arrived after an emergency call on Monday.
The 8- and 9-year-olds were removed from the water by rescuers and a neighbor, who administered immediate medical care before the boys were taken to a local hospital by ambulance. They were later pronounced dead.
The 6-year-old did not resurface initially, but his body was recovered following an extensive search of the pond. All three were declared deceased.
The sheriff’s office declined to release the children’s names out of respect for the family’s privacy.
Relatives identified them to FOX 4 as Howard, 6; Kaleb, 8; and EJ, 9.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all affected by this tragic incident,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement, thanking the assisting agencies and community members.
The siblings attended Bonham ISD elementary schools, district officials confirmed. The superintendent sent a letter to families expressing grief over the incident.
“We are devastated by this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children,” the letter stated, per Fox 4.
The district plans to offer counselors for students and staff this week.
Hangaman shared recollections of her sons amid her sorrow. She described EJ as focused on football and haircuts, aspiring to play sports; Kaleb as having an exceptional personality and being the sweetest boy she’d met; and Howard as goofy, always enlivening gatherings.
The Bonham Fire Department confirmed the deaths stemmed from the winter storm conditions. The fire chief is slated to give an update on the investigation later Tuesday.
A GoFundMe has been established to aid the family with memorial expenses.
One day earlier, on Sunday, a Frisco teen lost her life, and another was injured in a sledding-related accident. A sixteen-year-old boy was driving a Jeep Wrangler while pulling the two teen girls on a sled when the sled struck a curb and then crashed into a tree, The Dallas Express reported.
