Three young brothers have died after falling through ice on a private pond in Bonham, north Texas, in a tragic accident on Monday.
The children, aged six, eight, and nine, were playing near the pond, about 100 feet from the house where their family was staying, when the incident occurred. Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, said the youngest child fell through the ice first after attempting to skate on the frozen surface, while his two older brothers jumped in after him in an effort to help.
Hangaman said she rushed to the pond and tried to rescue her sons by pulling them from the freezing water and placing them on the ice, but the ice repeatedly broke beneath them. “There were three of them and only one of me… that’s why I couldn’t save them,” she said.
According to her account, she had previously warned the boys to stay away from the water. While attempting the rescue, she began to struggle herself and was eventually pulled to safety by a neighbour who heard her screams and used a rope to drag her out.
In a statement, the local sheriff’s office said the two older boys were pulled from the water by emergency responders and a neighbour and rushed to a nearby hospital. The six-year-old was later recovered following an extensive search of the pond.
Authorities did not officially release the children’s names, but family members identified them as Howard Doss, six, Kaleb Doss, eight, and EJ Doss, nine. Their mother described the boys as full of life, saying EJ dreamed of becoming a football star, Kaleb loved dancing and singing, and Howard enjoyed making people laugh.
The boys’ school expressed devastation over the loss, noting in a message to families that counsellors would be made available to support students and staff.
The tragedy comes amid a severe winter storm that has swept across large parts of the United States, including Texas, resulting in more than 20 deaths nationwide and leaving thousands without power.
