Florida Teen Is Found Dead With His Little Brother After He Went to Save Him From Drowning in Floods

After a Florida single mom's son informed her that his younger brother was missing, she jumped in her car and went to the nearby canal to search for him. Hours later, a detective appeared at her front door and told her something unexpected.

Lachera Burrowes was a single mother who lived with her three sons, Tahjir, Tahjon, and Tahjay Burrowes. Tahjon and Tahjay were 17-year-old identical twins, while Tahjir was only six.

Lachera's youngest boy was diagnosed with autism, so he always needed to be supervised. He wore a diaper despite his age as he wasn't yet potty-trained due to the condition. The family lived happily in their Florida home until the unthinkable happened.

The Little Boy

Besides working as an addiction counselor, Lachera had a full-time job looking after her children, especially little Tahjir. She was apprehensive about him after Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in the city because her son was sensitive to storms.

She remembered what happened when Hurricane Irma destroyed properties in 2017. The stress made Tahjir feel extremely constipated, even days after the storm had settled.

Lachera didn't live a lavish life, but she saved money to book a hotel room for her family so they could leave their house when Hurricane Ian hit Florida. While she thought she did everything to protect her family, something unexpected turned her life upside down.

Her Missing Son

The 44-year-old single mother of three had never imagined a tragedy would change her life a week after the storm hit. She was inside her room when a panicked Tahjon knocked on her door and screamed:

"Mom, mom, mom! Tahjir got out of the house!"

Tahjon looked after his little brother like a father and always tried to protect him. It was a usual day on October 5, 2022, when Tahjon stepped out of the bathroom and realized Tahjir was missing.

The Flooded Canal

After informing his mother, Tahjon darted out the main door to look for his little brother. Since the storm had destroyed the fence around their house, Tahjir quickly escaped the boundary and wandered towards the flooded canal.

When she opened the door, a detective on her doorstep told her they had found her sons.

Tahjon headed towards the canal. Meanwhile, Lachera quickly got into her car and searched for her boys. However, when she reached the canal near her home, she didn't find them.

Searching for the Boys

The worried mother quickly called the police and told them about her missing sons. Soon, a team of officers began searching for the boys in the nearby streets.

Lachera returned home and prayed for Tahjir and Tahjon's safe return. A few hours later, she heard someone knock on her door. The worried mother ran to answer the door, hoping to get good news.

When she opened the door, a detective on her doorstep told her they had found her sons. However, the bad news was that the boys weren't alive. They had closed their eyes forever after drowning in the canal.

Bad News

Lachera's world came crashing down after hearing the detective's words. She had suddenly lost two of her sons in an instant. However, in her heart, she knew that Tahjon must have jumped into the water to save his baby brother.

"

," Lachera

about her sons. She added that she would also have jumped into the water had she reached there first. The devastated mother

:

"Tahjon was like the best big brother in the world."

Saying Goodbye

During an interview, Lachera broke down while thinking about the bond her late sons shared. Now, she only has photos of her sons hugging each other and memories of Tahjon looking after his brother and teaching him how to walk.

Lachera wanted to bury her babies side by side, and a family member helped her cover the funeral expenses by setting up an online fundraiser on GoFundMe. The family aimed to raise $20,000. Lachera said:

"I know I'm going to be crying forever, but there are some really good memories I have."

The Comments

Besides friends and relatives of the Burrowes family, netizens also felt sad after learning about the boys' untimely deaths. Here are some of the comments people left under NBC News' Facebook post:

"I can't. Words don't express how sorry I am for the brothers and everyone who loves them."

― (@Jennifer LeCorn) October 13, 2022

"I'm so sorry for their family loss. I lost my big brother in a drowning incident, and my life hasn't been the same."

― (@Willie Hughes) October 13, 2022

"It's tragic the older brother died trying to save the younger brother, but if he had lived and not saved his brother, he would not be in a good place."

― (@Hector Ramos) October 13, 2022

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Burrowes family and their loved ones mourning the unfortunate deaths of the two brothers.

Click here to read another story about a one-year-old girl who died in her mother's arms after the baby's six-year-old brother found her lifeless in a swimming pool.