Mother And 3-Year-Old Son Die After Boy Falls Through Ice In Frozen Pond, Mother Tries To Rescue Him

An Ohio mother has died while trying to rescue her 3-year-old son after he fell through ice on a frozen pond. The 39-year-old mother, Maurissa Bickford, was able to get her son out of the icy water, but was unable to pull herself out.

WHIO reports that the 10-foot-deep pond was located behind the Bickford’s home on their neighbor’s property. Sheriff John Lenhart says that no one was near the pond when the accident occurred but that it appears that the 3-year-old boy, Noah, got away from his mother and ran onto the ice. When Noah fell through the ice, his mother ran to his rescue. She was able to jump in and hoist the child out of the water. However, it appears that after the child was removed from the water, the woman could not pull herself out. The toddler did not move after being removed from the icy waters, apparently having drowned before the mother was able to get to him.

According to the Daily Mail, it was two county highway garage employees who happened to be working near the pond who found the pair. They noted that the pond was almost completely frozen over when the bodies were discovered. The workers, Zachery Rogers and Samuel Deatherage, pulled Noah to a bank and began CPR. However, the workers could not get to Maurissa. It was noted that the pond’s aeration system may have resulted in an inability to retrieve Maurissa as it created an open area of water in the center of the pond. The mother was eventually pulled out of the water by fire department workers. Sadly, both Noah and Maurissa died from their fall into the frozen pond.

The Sheriff’s department does not know how long the pair were in the water before the workers found them. However, Sheriff Lenhart notes that Maurissa did what any parent would have done in this situation.

“She did what all moms and dad do: tried to rescue the child.”

The neighbor, John Moeller, who own the pond where the mother and child were found says he is “shook up” over the incident.

“Always wanted it [the pond] to be used for recreation and fishing and just enjoying, but something happened quite tragic today and it’s got me shook up. Realize that life can be very, very brief, and we prayed for them and will really try to do what we can for the father and daughter that’s remaining.”

The medical reports have listed both deaths as drownings.

[Image Credit: Getty Images/ Joe Raedle]