Three brothers — ages 6, 8, and 9 — died in Texas during a massive winter storm after they fell through an icy pond, authorities said. Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, tried to rescue them but was unable to save them.
They were just screaming, telling me to help them, Hangaman recalled. And I watched all of them struggle...I couldn't help them all by myself.
The boys were initially pulled from the water by first responders and a neighbor, but sadly, they could not be revived. The incident occurred in Bonham, a rural area near the Oklahoma border, where the local community is reeling from this tragic event.
Hangaman had warned her children not to go near the pond, yet tragedy struck when her youngest daughter ran to tell her that her brothers were in trouble.
I ran across as much ice as I could to get to them and eventually ended up falling in myself, she recounted. She went on to describe the immediate shock of the freezing water to her body as she struggled against the ice.
Initially, the children were reported missing, prompting an extensive search operation that eventually led to their recovery. The local school district, Bonham Independent School District, canceled classes due to the extreme weather conditions, which have left much of the area coated in ice.
Superintendent Lance Hamlin expressed the community's grief in a letter, stating, We are devastated by this unimaginable loss. Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children. The entire community has been touched by the incident, as they mourn the loss of these energetic children.
As the winter storm continues to impact the U.S., including the cold temperatures and hazardous conditions that have led to over 40 reported deaths, many are reminded of the tragic accident of the Hangaman family. A layer of ice remains over the pond where the boys lost their lives, serving as a poignant reminder of the recent tragedy.
