In brief
In a devastating accident on a private pond in Bonham, Texas, three brothers aged 6, 8, and 9 tragically drowned after falling through the ice while playing. Despite their mother's courageous attempt to rescue them, the thin ice broke, making it impossible for her to save them alone. The local community is mourning the loss as family members and the boys' school express their grief. Authorities have reported that a recent winter storm contributed to dangerous conditions in the area.
Three young brothers have died in Bonham, north Texas, after falling through ice on a private pond on Monday. Cheyenne Hangaman, the boys' mother, said she tried to rescue them by lifting them out of the water and placing them on the ice, but it kept breaking.There was three of them and only one of me... that's why I couldn't save them, she told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. She described her sons, aged six, eight and nine, as full of personality and urged families to 'make sure that you hold your kids tight, always tell them that you love them.'Hangaman, a mother of six, first learned of the accident when her daughter ran over to her, shouting that the boys had fallen in. The children had been out playing near the pond, about 100ft (30m) away from the house where the family had been staying. The youngest fell through first after trying to 'ice skate' on the layer of ice on the water, Hangaman said, adding that the two older boys then jumped in after him.When I seen them, they were struggling, and I know their bodies were already in shock, she said. The water was freezing cold.While trying to save them, she began to struggle and was 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, a football coach at the school the boys attended, heard her screams and was able to pull her out of the water.Authorities did not release the children's names, but family members identified them as Howard Doss, six, Kaleb Doss, eight, and EJ Doss, nine. The boys' school said they were 'devastated by this unimaginable loss,' and counselors would be available to support students and staff. Their deaths come as a deadly winter storm hit a wide swathe of the US, including Texas, over the last week, killing more than 20 people and leaving several thousands without power.
