FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. —
Two boys have died after plunging through a frozen pond near their home on Sunday.
The boys were 7 and 8 years old, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Their names have not been released. According to MSHP, the boys went riding on their bikes on private property Sunday and didn't come back as planned.
First responders couldn't confirm how long they stayed in the frigid waters before help could arrive. One of the boys was found floating in the pond. A diver located the second boy. They were rushed to Mercy Hospital Washington where they were pronounced dead Sunday evening.
"This is such a sad thing that’s happened, just can’t believe it," said Opal Kamper.
Opal Kamper, 93, lives just down from where the accident happened. She said the two young boys are as sweet as they come.
"And I’d wave at them and they’d wave at me," said Opal.
She said children of all ages have been playing on frozen ponds for decades, including her.
"I did it when I was a kid, too. We all did it," she said.
"Terrible situation, especially right before Christmas," said her grandson, Tate Kamper. "Never trust ice. It’s never a great idea to walk on a pond like that."
St. Clair Fire Battalion Chief Adam Hansel was part of the team that rescued the two boys.
"It was chest deep on our rescuers today," Hansel told 5 On Your Side.
By the time St. Clair Fire arrived to the scene, one of the boys had already been rescued from the icy waters. His crew put on dry suits to pull out the second little boy.
"Just because it looks good doesn’t mean it is good," said Hansel.
He said this incident should serve as a cautionary tale.
"You know, it’s been warm and then cold again. That ice is thawing and refreezing on both top and bottom, and we don’t know the exact thickness of that ice, so it’s safe to stay off that ice at all times," he said.
Experts say there should at least be four inches of ice before you try to walk across it. If you can't tell if it's that thick, then just avoid it all together.
