A toddler fell to his death through an icy pond in a in the .

Ayden Sasser became trapped under the ice after his sledge plunged into a pond near his home in Whitsett, . Hysterical audio from calls to the emergency services captured the frantic seconds following the freak accident in the small town.

Two members of the public jumped in to try to save he child, whose age has not been disclosed, and, though he was rescued from the freezing water, he later died in hospital.

The boy’s mother, Angel Nicole Sasser, wrote on days after the tragedy: "My life…my baby…I don’t know how to move forward. I just don’t have words..no energy… nothing… this is all I have at the moment… I love you all. We just want lots of love… hugs… kind words."

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It is unclear who Ayden was with when the accident happened on Saturday. However, in the 911 call, an unidentified woman is heard telling the operator: "Please please please... There is thin ice, and they’re trying to get to him. They’re trying to help."

The caller said the little boy was near the middle of the lake and two people jumped into the water to assist. Between sobs, she continued: "I think they got him. It’s really cold though... I don’t know. He was in there for a good minute. He’s probably freezing cold. I don’t think he’s okay. I’m scared. I don’t want him to die."

Authorities said that they are waiting for the official cause of death from the medical examiner. Police said two first responders and three other people who helped with the rescue were also taken to the hospital for medical examinations. They were all released from the hospital after being examined, police said.

Aside from Guilford County sheriff’s deputies, the Whitsett Fire Department, Guilford County Emergency Medical Services and three other agencies responded to the call.

More than £26,000 has been donated, including large sums from strangers, to the fundraiser since it was created by friends of the family on Monday. The organiser says it will be used to help cover Ayden's funeral.