An icy tragedy struck a North Texas community after three young brothers died during a winter storm while trying to save one another from a frozen pond. Authorities and family members said the boys fell into the icy water as dangerous conditions gripped the region.
The tragedy unfolded in Bonham, about 60 miles northeast of Dallas, during a winter storm that blanketed the area in ice and snow. According to FOX 4, the brothers, ages 6, 8, and 9, were playing near a frozen pond when the youngest child, Howard, fell in. His two older brothers entered the water in an attempt to rescue him.
Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, told FOX 4 she ran to the pond and jumped in to try to save her sons. “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.” A local high school football coach and a neighbor also attempted rescues, but the freezing water prevented further efforts.
First responders and a neighbor pulled the 8-year-old and 9-year-old from the pond and rushed them to a hospital, where both later died. Howard never resurfaced, and crews recovered his body after an extensive search.
Hangaman described the events through tears. “It was one of me and three of them, and they all needed me at one time. I just couldn’t… I couldn’t save them,” she said.
Bonham Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Lance Hamlin called the loss “unimaginable” in a letter to families, stating the district was working to support students and staff. The Icy Tragedy was one of multiple fatal incidents involving North Texas students during the winter storm.
