A devastating tragedy has unfolded in Texas, where three young brothers lost their lives after a harrowing incident on a frozen pond during a historic winter storm. The boys, aged six, eight, and nine, died after one fell through the ice and his siblings bravely attempted to rescue him, with their mother forced to witness the entire horrific event.
A Mother's Worst Nightmare
Cheyenne Hangaman and her six children were staying at a friend's home across from a private pond north of Bonham, Texas, when the weekend's brutal winter conditions descended. Hangaman had specifically warned her children to stay away from the frozen water as temperatures plummeted and conditions became treacherous.
Despite these warnings, on Monday, her six-year-old son Howard attempted to 'skate' on the frozen surface and fell through the thin ice. His brothers, nine-year-old EJ and eight-year-old Kaleb, immediately leapt into the freezing water in a desperate attempt to save their younger sibling.
Desperate Rescue Attempts
Hangaman described hearing her children's terrified screams as her daughter ran inside to alert her. "They were just screaming, telling me to help them," she recounted. "And I watched all of them struggle, struggle to stay above the water. I watched all of them fight."
The distraught mother ran across the ice to reach her children, eventually falling into the frigid water herself. "I would grab one, try to put him on ice, but the ice just kept breaking every time I would sit him up there," she said. "I would just keep trying to go to each one of them trying to help them and it was only me, like I couldn't help them all by myself."
Community Response and Recovery
First responders and a neighbour who heard the screams rushed to the scene, pulling the two older boys from the water. The youngest sibling was found after an extensive search of the pond. A man threw a rope to Hangaman, pulling the mother-of-six to safety as she fought for her own life.
"I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. By that time I knew that my kids were already gone. So I just had to try to fight for my life at that point," Hangaman said through her grief.
School District Mourns
The three boys were elementary school students in the Bonham Independent School District, which had cancelled classes due to the treacherous Winter Storm Fern sweeping across the nation. The district remained closed on Tuesday because of continuing icy, dangerous roads and subzero temperatures.
Superintendent Dr Lance Hamlin sent a letter to families confirming the boys' deaths, stating: "It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we inform our community of the tragic passing of three elementary students. We are devastated by this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children."
Remembering the Brothers
Hangaman remembers her three boys as cheerful and lively children whose energy was infectious. "You couldn't really stop their bubbliness," she said, reflecting on their vibrant personalities.
The tragedy occurred during a historic winter storm that swept across the United States, bringing heavy snow, crippling ice, and frigid Arctic temperatures to numerous states. As of Tuesday, a layer of ice still covered much of the pond where the brothers lost their lives.
This incident forms part of a wider pattern of winter storm fatalities, with at least 32 deaths reported across states afflicted by severe cold during this weather event. The Bonham community now faces the difficult task of supporting a grieving family while coming to terms with this heartbreaking loss of three young lives.
