Two young Gary brothers drowned Saturday in a pond in Hobart, Ind. known as “the pit.”
Terrion Smith, 8, and Donel Smith, 9, both of the 3900 block of Louisiana Street in Gary, Ind., were pronounced dead Saturday night at St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, according to the Lake County Coroner’s office. An autopsy indicated both had drowned.
Detective 1st Sgt. Jeremy Ogden said the Hobart Police Department received a 911 call around 7 p.m. that two boys had fallen into the pond at 4040 Missouri St. Officers arrived shortly after the call and pulled them out of the water, the Post-Tribune is reporting. EMS workers took the boys to St. Mary Medical Center.
"I want my babies back," said their mother Tatiana Smith. "I told them to stay in the yard."
The two had reportedly ventured just blocks away from their home with former classmates to a sandy, water-filled hole in the area.
"We went where the sand was and climbed there," said 10-year-old Dasean Smith, who tried to rescue the boys.
"I tried to pull them out, but I was drowning so I got out," he said.
Local
Daniyela Hashem lives near the area where it happened and called 911 to report the incident.
"One of the kids rang our doorbell and told us to call 911," she said.
Hasem said the the area is dangerous, but kids typically ignore the "no trespassing" signs.
"Kids see sand and want to play," she said. "We are constantly telling kids to get away."
The boys' mother, however, said the signs and rope went up only after her children drowned.
"Now they put up the rope and tape," she said. "It wasn't ntohing up there before...nothing."
