Mother was unable to save lots of 3 sons who died after falling by icy pond

BONHAM, Texas (KXII/Gray News) — Three younger brothers died Monday after falling by ice on a non-public pond north of Bonham, Texas, in line with a number of native and state businesses.

The victims have been recognized as brothers Howard, 6; Kaleb, 8; and E.J., 9.

Their mom, Cheynne Hangaman, mentioned she jumped into the freezing water Monday however wasn’t in a position to save them.

“They were just screaming, telling me to help them,” Hangaman advised 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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First responders and a neighbor pulled the 2 older boys from the water. However, the 6-year-old didn’t resurface however was later recovered after an in depth search of the pond.

Hangaman mentioned she and her kids had been staying at a good friend’s home throughout the road from the pond, and that she’d warned them to not go close to it. But, she mentioned, on Monday her youngest daughter ran to inform her that her brothers had been within the water.

“I ran across as much ice as I could to get to them and eventually ended up falling in myself,” mentioned Hangaman, who mentioned the freezing water instantly shocked her physique.

“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 mentioned. ”I might simply preserve making an attempt to go to every one in every of them making an attempt to assist them and it was solely me, like I couldn’t assist all of them on my own.”

Hangaman mentioned a person who got here to assist was in a position to throw a rope to her to get her out of the pond.

“I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move,” she mentioned. “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.”

All three of the boys had been in elementary faculty within the Bonham Independent School District, which had canceled lessons Monday due to the frigid weather that has swept throughout a lot of the U.S.

The faculty district was additionally closed Tuesday attributable to excessive climate situations, together with icy roads and freezing temperatures.

“We are devastated by this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children,” Superintendent Lance Hamlin mentioned in a letter to folks.

Hangaman mentioned all three boys had been “bubbly.”

“You couldn’t really stop their bubbliness,” she mentioned.

A GoFundMe page has been set as much as assist the household.

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