A North Texas mother is grieving the tragic loss of her three young sons after they drowned in a frozen pond near their home in Fannin County, Texas.
The incident happened on January 26 near Bonham when the boys fell through thin ice on a private pond. Their mother, Cheyenne Hangaman, said she had warned them to stay away, but everything happened in seconds. Her youngest son slipped onto the ice, fell through, and his two older brothers jumped in to try to save him.
Cheyenne rushed in after them, desperately trying to pull her children out while struggling to stay alive herself. “It was one of me and three of them. I couldn’t save them,” she said.
Neighbors and first responders pulled the two older boys, ages 8 and 9, from the water and rushed them to the hospital, but they later died. The youngest, 6-year-old Howard Doss, was found after a search. The other victims were identified as Kaleb, 8, and EJ, 9.
Cheyenne said a neighbor saved her life by pulling her out with a rope after hearing her screams. “I had to watch my kids struggle, and I couldn’t help them,” she said.
The tragic incident has left the community devastated as authorities continue to warn about the dangers of frozen ponds.