Unimaginable Tragedy as 3 Young Siblings Die After Falling Through Icy Pond

A Texas mother is facing an unimaginable loss after all three of her young sons died when they fell through an icy pond during a winter storm.

The tragedy unfolded Monday afternoon around 3 p.m. at a home in Bonham, roughly 60 miles northeast of Dallas. The boys were playing on a pond covered in ice when the surface suddenly gave way, sending them into the freezing water.

Divers with the Bonham Fire Department rushed to the scene and pulled the children from the pond, immediately beginning CPR. The boys were then transported to TMC Bonham Hospital, where doctors later pronounced all three dead, according to local reports.

Authorities have not officially released the children’s identities, but they were identified locally as Cheyenne Bush’s sons: EJ, 9, Kaleb, 8, and Howard, 6.

A family member told a community watch group that Howard reportedly fell through the ice first and that his two older brothers tried to save him. That account has not been independently confirmed by authorities.

The loss has sent shockwaves through the community. Bonham Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Lance Hamlin confirmed in a letter to families that three elementary school students had died.

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we inform our community of the tragic passing of three elementary students,” Hamlin wrote. “We are devastated by this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the family, friends, and all who knew and loved these children.”

Hamlin added that the district would provide support to the family and emphasized the strength of the tight-knit community. “Bonham will get through this together by supporting one another with compassion and care,” he said.

As the family prepares to bury three children, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help support Bush, 33. The fundraiser was created by her sister, Amber Kuhn, who described the tragedy as “awful” and said the family is completely heartbroken. In addition to donations, she asked supporters to send thoughts and prayers.

The boys’ deaths occurred as a massive winter storm swept across much of the country, bringing ice, snow, and dangerously cold temperatures to Texas and beyond. The same storm system has been blamed for dozens of fatalities nationwide, including deadly accidents involving snowplows, sledding incidents, and exposure-related deaths.

As of Tuesday morning, extreme cold warnings remained in effect from Texas to Pennsylvania, with wind chills in some areas dropping as low as minus 20 degrees. Large portions of the country were expected to remain below freezing throughout the day, with temperatures plunging again overnight.