Three Texas Brothers Die After Falling Through Frozen Pond
‘They Were Screaming’ — 3 Brothers Die After Falling Through Frozen Pond As Mother Watches, Powerless To Save Them
A Texas mother is facing an unimaginable loss after three of her young sons died in a tragic accident involving a frozen pond.
Cheyenne Hangaman is mourning the deaths of her sons, Howard, 6, Kaleb, 8, and EJ, 9, after they fell through a frozen private pond over the weekend. According to a press release issued by the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on Jan. 26, near Recreational Road 3 outside of Bonham.
“They were just screaming, telling me to help them,” Cheyenne Hangaman told The Associated Press. “And I watched all of them struggle, struggle to stay above the water. I watched all of them fight.”
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In an emotional interview with Fox 4 News on Jan. 27, Hangaman shared heartbreaking details about the moments leading up to the tragedy. The mother of six explained that her youngest son, Howard, was the first to fall through the ice. His two older brothers immediately jumped in after him in an attempt to save him. Hangaman then followed, desperately trying to reach her children.
“How do you go from having six kids to three? I don’t know how you do that. I guess I gotta figure it out,” Hangaman told Fox 4 News. “We were actually just supposed to be sledding in a cardboard box somewhere, but that didn’t happen.”
Hangaman said her daughter came running to her, screaming that her brothers were drowning. Without hesitation, she ran toward the pond and jumped into the icy water.
“I started running toward the pond and I jumped in. I tried to save them while also trying to keep myself alive.” Hangaman said. “As soon as I jumped in, I locked up. I couldn’t do anything.”
She struggled for nearly 30 seconds to reach the boys, but the ice beneath her eventually broke. A local football coach, John Ramsay, also attempted to help pull the children from the freezing water, but his efforts were unsuccessful. Hangaman was later pulled out of the pond by a neighbor.
First responders pulled the boys out of the pond, but what happened next was heartbreaking.
According to the sheriff’s office, first responders and a neighbor were eventually able to recover the 8-year-old and 9-year-old from the pond. Both children received medical care and were transported to a local hospital, where they later died. The 6-year-old boy “did not resurface but was later recovered after an extensive search of the pond,” the sheriff’s office said in their press release. He also later died.
Despite her overwhelming grief, Hangaman said she is trying to hold on to the memories of her sons and the joy they brought into her life.
“My oldest one, EJ— he didn’t care about nothing but football and getting his haircut. He wanted to play sports,” she said. “Kaleb’s personality was out of his world; he was the sweetest boy I ever met. And Howard… he was just goofy. He would liven the party. He was the first one who went in and the other boys tried to save him. That’s how they ended up in there.”
As of Tuesday, Jan. 28, more than $63,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe to support the family during this devastating time.
The Bonham Independent School District, where the boys attended elementary school, has also expressed support for Hangaman and the boys during this difficult time. The district has made counseling services available to both students and staff.
“We are devastated by this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children,” the district wrote in part.
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