“I tried to save them while also trying to keep myself alive,” mom Cheyenne Hangaman said
Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer and Reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working in journalism for seven years.
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The three boys who died after falling into a frozen pond in Texas on Jan. 26.Credit :
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Three brothers have died after falling through a frozen pond in Texas on Jan. 26, according to local authorities
Relatives reportedly have identified the children as Howard, 6, Kaleb, 8, and EJ, 9
The boys’ mom told a local news station that she jumped in the water to try and save her kids, but struggled in the water herself
Three young brothers have died after falling through a frozen pond in Texas after their mom tried to save them.
The boys fell through ice on a private pond off Recreational Road 3 outside of Bonham on Monday, Jan. 26, according to a news release from the Fannin County Sheriff’s Office.
Relatives have identified them as brothers Howard, 6, Kaleb, 8, and EJ, 9, according to Fox affiliate KDFW.
Cheyenne Hangaman, the boy’s mother, told the station that Howard was the first to go under the water, and that his brothers leaped in to save him. She then went into the water herself.
“I tried to save them while also trying to keep myself alive. As soon as I jumped in, I locked up. I couldn’t do anything,” Hangaman said.
The mom said a neighbor later helped pull her out of the water, according to KDFW. Meanwhile, a high school football coach tried to save her sons.
First responders and a neighbor eventually helped pull the 8-year-old and 9-year-old from the water, according to the sheriff’s office. They received medical care before being transported to a local hospital, but 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. He later died, as well.
The Bonham Independent School District said the boys attended elementary school in the district, according to NBC affiliate KXAS. Counseling has been made available to 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,” they added.
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More than $35,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe for the boys’ family as of Tuesday, Jan. 27.
At least 30 deaths have been reported in states impacted by Winter Storm Fern, according to the Associated Press.
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