3 Brothers Die After Falling Into Frozen Pond In Texas

Three young brothers have died after falling through ice on a private pond in Bonham, north Texas, as a deadly winter storm continued to batter parts of the United States.

The incident occurred on Monday when the children, aged six, eight and nine, were playing near the pond, located about 100 feet from the house where the family was staying.

Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, said the tragedy unfolded after the youngest child attempted to “ice skate” on the frozen surface of the pond and fell through. The two older boys reportedly jumped in after him in an attempt to help.

“When I see them, they were struggling, and I know their bodies were already in shock,” Hangaman told CBS News, “The water was freezing cold.”

Hangaman said she rushed to the pond and tried desperately to rescue her sons, pulling them out of the water and placing them on the ice, but the ice kept breaking under their weight.

“There were three of them and only one of me… that’s why I couldn’t save them,” she said.

She added that she first became aware of the incident when her daughter ran towards her, screaming that the boys had fallen into the pond.

While attempting to save her children, Hangaman herself began to struggle in the icy water and had to be rescued by a neighbour.

“I tried to fight for my kids’ life, where I had to watch them struggle and drown and I couldn’t help them,” she said.

The neighbour, identified as a football coach at the boys’ school, reportedly heard her screams and ran to the scene. Using a horse rope, he was able to pull her out of the water.

“He said he heard the screaming or the call for help and came running. My friend had a horse rope, and he pulled me out with it,” Hangaman said.

In a statement, the local sheriff’s office said the two older boys were pulled from the pond by emergency responders and a neighbour and were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. The six-year-old was recovered after what authorities described as “an extensive search of the pond.”

Although authorities did not officially release the children’s names, family members identified them as Howard Doss, six; Kaleb Doss, eight; and EJ Doss, nine.

Describing her sons, Hangaman said EJ dreamed of becoming a football star, Kaleb loved to dance and sing, while the youngest, Howard, “liked making people laugh.”

She urged parents to cherish their children, saying families should “make sure that you hold your kids tight, always tell them that you love them.”

The boys’ school described itself as “devastated by this unimaginable loss” in a letter to families, adding that counsellors would be available to support students and staff.

The tragic deaths come amid a severe winter storm sweeping across large parts of the United States, including Texas, which has claimed more than 20 lives and left thousands without power in the past week.