Young brothers die after pulled from frozen pond, Illinois family says. ‘I’m broken’
Two young brothers died after they fell into a frozen pond while playing outside in Illinois, their family and officials say.
Palatine police officers said they received a report of children who had fallen into a pond around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 23. When officials arrived, fire personnel pulled two boys from the water. Both were taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.
A Cook County spokesperson confirmed to McClatchy News that the boys were identified as Romalice Brooks, 6, and Rosiah Brooks, 4.
Rosiah Brooks was transferred to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, and he was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. on Wednesday, police said. Romalice Brooks was transferred Advocate Christ Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 3:54 a.m. on Thursday.
The brothers were playing outside at their grandmother’s house when they fell through the ice, their mother, Teghan Ivy, told WMAQ.
“I heard them, ‘Mommy! Mommy,’” she said in an interview with WLS. “I came outside, and I did the only think I knew to do: I took off my shoes and I got on that ice and tried to get them.”
The boys were underwater for nearly 20 minutes, according to the outlet.
“It felt like forever waiting for them to get them out that water,” Ivy told WLS. “I’m broken.”
Palatine is a Chicago suburb.
This story was originally published November 25, 2022 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Young brothers die after pulled from frozen pond, Illinois family says. ‘I’m broken’."
