7-Year-Old Twin Brothers Die After Falling Through Icy Pond Despite Mom’s Attempt to Save Them

A North Carolina community is grieving after a devastating accident claimed the lives of twin brothers who fell through an icy pond near their home.

Emergency crews rushed to Mayberry Lane in Onslow County around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8, after a 911 call reported that two 7-year-old boys had fallen into a frozen pond, according to the Onslow County Sheriff’s Office.

Their mother, Barbara Zarlinga, had been cooking dinner while her twin sons, Benjamin and Sebastian Pufall, played outside. When the boys didn’t come in after she called them, she went searching — and what she found would change her life forever.

According to local outlet WITN, Zarlinga spotted something in the water at the pond. At first, she hoped it was just a toy.

“I didn’t know it was him at the time, I was praying to God it was a toy,” she said. “When I got into the water, I knew it was not.”

She pulled Sebastian from the icy pond and immediately began performing lifesaving measures. Authorities said the second child was quickly located and removed from the water by first responders who had arrived at the scene.

Both boys were transported to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. Tragically, despite all efforts, they later died from their injuries. Officials have ruled the heartbreaking incident an accident.

“This is a heartbreaking day for our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as they face an unimaginable loss,” Sheriff Chris Thomas said in a statement. He added that deputies and first responders involved in the rescue are also deeply affected by what happened.

Zarlinga was treated at the hospital for hypothermia following her attempt to save her sons, WITN reported.

In the days since the tragedy, the community has rallied around the grieving mother. A GoFundMe campaign organized by Kia Lewis has raised more than $23,000 to help support Zarlinga during this unimaginable time.

“Barbara has always been the first to offer help to others in need, and now she needs our support more than ever,” Lewis wrote on the fundraiser page. “By coming together as a community, we can help ease some of the burdens she is facing and show her that she is not alone.”

As neighbors continue to mourn, many are holding their loved ones a little closer, reminded of just how fragile and precious life can be.