SUN PRAIRIE, Wisc. — Two young boys from Wisconsin have died after falling through ice in a retention pond.
The Sun Prairie Police Department said officers were called to the pond at about 3:20 p.m. on Friday after a report of two children falling through the ice and into the water, WMTV reported.
Police said the boys were pulled from the pond “pretty quickly” and were taken to an area hospital in critical condition. One died over the weekend, the other on Monday, WISN reported.
WMTV reported the two boys were brothers.
The boys were identified by their youth baseball league as Antwon, 6, and Legend, 8. Both boys played for the BMC Youth Baseball League. League officials said that the children were dropped off by their school bus at an apartment complex near the pond, which, according to photos of the area, did not have fencing around the water. Antwon fell through the ice and Legend tried to save his brother.
Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of a bright young soul who was taken from us too soon. He was only 8 years...
Posted by BMC Youth Baseball on Sunday, January 7, 2024
Antwon Amos spoke to WISC, saying, “I’m angry. I’m heartbroken, devastated, everything.”
The family told the news station that a bigger barrier is needed to prevent another tragedy.
“We need to end this actually today where they fence every pond in that’s at apartment complexes where kids have access to it so we never have to go through this again,” the boys’ aunt, Andrea Shorter-Amos said.
City officials told WISC that retention ponds need to have a safety shelf, which the pond did have, extending 10 feet from the edge and no deeper than one foot.
The city also issued a statement concerning the deaths of the children, saying, “Our thoughts are with the affected families during this difficult time. Our primary focus is supporting the community as it navigates through these difficult times. In response to this tragedy, we recognize the concerns raised by our community. We are exploring measures to enhance existing safety protocols and promote water safety, prioritizing the well-being of our community members.”
Two GoFundMe campaigns, set up by the boys’ parents, were started to help pay for a funeral and memorial for the brothers.
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