On Monday, January 26th, a tragedy occurred in the outskirts of Bonham, Fannin County, in northeast Texas near the Oklahoma border. Three brothers, aged 6, 8, and 9, tragically drowned while playing on the ice of a pond, leaving the community residents heartbroken.
According to CBS, the incident happened while the family was outdoors, and the youngest boy accidentally fell into the icy water. His two brothers attempted to rescue him, with their mother rushing to help as well, but it was too late.
Sheriff Cody Shook confirmed the news in Fannin County. Authorities, out of respect for the family’s privacy, did not disclose their identities.
The Sheriff’s office stated that rescue personnel arrived at the scene and, with the help of neighbors, managed to rescue the two older boys (aged 8 and 9) from the water. However, the third boy (aged 6) was only found after a thorough search of the pond.
Rescue workers performed CPR on the two older boys, who were then taken to an ambulance, but all three were pronounced dead.
According to their mother Cheyenne Hangaman, “They were screaming for me to save them. I watched them struggle desperately to stay afloat, to not sink under the water…”
It was her daughter who informed her about the boys falling into the water, prompting her to rush to their aid. She recounted, “I grabbed one, but as soon as I got him onto the ice, it cracked.”
A man threw a rope to help her out of the pond. She said, “I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move, and I knew my children were no longer with me, so I had to fight for my own survival.”
Bonham Independent School District confirmed the deaths of three elementary school students. In a statement, the district expressed profound sorrow over the unimaginable loss and extended condolences to the children’s families, friends, and all who loved them.
Despite the severe cold weather, authorities continue to investigate to determine the cause of the deaths.
In Henrico County, Virginia, authorities are investigating an incident on January 26th where a toddler was rescued from an ice-covered pond and later died. They also noted that an adult man near the pond may have had low body temperature and received treatment.
Deaths resulting from the winter storm and subsequent polar vortex from January 23rd to 26th have been on the rise. As of the evening of January 27th, at least 62 death cases have been reported nationwide.
Just after midnight on January 26th, a 96-year-old woman with dementia collapsed outside her home in South Carolina. According to the state’s public health department, she is believed to have died of hypothermia. She is one of over twenty individuals linked to deaths related to low body temperature and exposure to cold environments.
In Evansville, Indiana, Juanita Cannon, 54, was found dead outside her car. Rubilio Mendez Reynoso, 31, a Buncombe County resident in North Carolina, was found dead by the roadside with no signs of foul play.
Reportedly, at least 8 individuals have died from sudden illnesses while shoveling snow or after such snow removal activities. The deceased were between the ages of 50 and 60.
The American Heart Association previously warned that physically demanding tasks like snow shoveling, especially in extreme cold weather, can lead to serious heart issues.
Francis Dutrow, coroner of Adams County, mentioned that a man in Indiana collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest after shoveling snow out four times on January 25th. Dutrow stated on January 27th, “The snowstorm was just terrible, it was only 15 degrees here, and there was no sign of it letting up.”
UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester reported admitting 7 patients with severe heart conditions due to snow shoveling within 24 hours on January 25th to 26th, with local snow depth reaching 22 inches.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, at least two women lost their lives in house fires, which tend to increase during this time of year.
As of January 27th, the number of outdoor deaths related to the winter storm in New York state reached 10, bringing the total death toll to 11, ranking it the highest in the country.
(Reference to USA Today)