3 Boys, Ages 4, 3 And 1, Die In Frozen Michigan Pond

HOLLAND, MI — Three little boys, ages 4, 3 and 1 years old, all brothers, died Thursday in Holland, Michigan after the car they were in became submerged upside down in a frozen pond, said Lt. Eric Westveer of the Ottawa County Sheriff Department.

Their mother, who was driving the car, was able to get out of the car, but she could not free her three boys, who were strapped in their car seats, he said.

The accident happened at 11:43 a.m. Thursday: The mother, 30, told police she was driving a Chevy Tahoe on James Street when, for reasons unknown, she swerved into oncoming traffic, hit a curb and then rolled into a partially frozen retention pond.

He said it remains under investigation why she swerved, but that it was not snowing or raining that morning; the roads were dry and there was no immediate indication she was impaired or under the influence.

The Chevy Tahoe broke the ice and was upside down in three to four feet of icy water; the police lieutenant said the mother was able to escape the vehicle.

Rescuers got there within three minutes, Capt. J. Douglas with the Ottawa Sheriff's Department told CNN affiliate WWMT; by the time they pulled the last child from the car, the Tahoe had been submerged for a total of 12 minutes. He also said the mother was in the icy water frantically trying to free her boys from their car seats.

The two older boys were pronounced dead at the scene, and the youngest, the 1-year-old was hospitalized in critical condition, but he later died as well, according to police reports.