Grandfather says 9-year-old grandson who died in icy Waukee pond was his best friend

Shawn Pickett didn't immediately recognize the anguished woman he saw kneeling behind an ambulance near the new home of his son's family in Waukee.

He'd gone to investigate the flashing lights as he and his son, Marcus Smith, looked for Smith's wife, who had suddenly gone missing.

He called his son back at the house to report what he'd seen. But Smith by now had spotted the woman and realized the situation: It was his wife, Amber, and something had happened to their son.

"It's Aiden, it's Aiden, it's Aiden," Pickett said Smith shouted over the phone as he ran to the scene.

Aiden James-Harrison Smith, 9, had gone out to play a short time before. Wandering out on the thin ice coating a pond, he'd fallen through and apparently died after becoming trapped beneath the ice.

According to Pickett, a neighbor had called 911 to report seeing a hole in the ice with a pair of shoes next to it on the pond near the 1100 block of Northview Drive, south of Hickman Road. Rescuers were still pulling Aiden's body from beneath the ice when Pickett spotted his daughter-in-law behind the ambulance.

The Smiths had been in the house for only two weeks and because of the cold weather, they hadn't walked around the vicinity yet. Pickett, who was visiting from Tampa, Florida, said the pond wasn't visible from the home or street, even though it was nearby.

Aiden "had never mentioned [the pond] to his mother or father," Pickett said. "They definitely did not know there was a pond back there."

His family believes Aiden took off his shoes but kept his socks on so he could slide across the pond. At some point he may have slipped, and the weight of his fall broke the ice. Pickett said he must not have been able to find a way out from beneath the ice.

Grandfather and grandson, Paw Paw and Buddy, were best friends

He described his grandson as having a heart of gold.

"He befriended you no matter if you were a boy or girl. Didn't matter to him, as long as you accepted him, he accepted you," said Pickett, who long went by his stepfather's last name, Smith, before reverting to his previous, legal name.

Aiden liked dinosaurs and playing baseball and football, Pokemon and Roblox. He was the running back for the Northwest Warriors and wore the number 3, the same one as his dad had worn as a player. Aiden's dream, Pickett said, was to one day play for the high school team and hear his name called over the loudspeakers.

"He was my best friend," Pickett said. "I did not even call him Aiden. He called me Paw Paw and I called him Buddy."

On Saturday, Aiden was sitting on Pickett's lap, playing a video game on his phone, when the boy's mother said he'd had enough screen time. Pickett said he remembers Aiden going out to the garage, perhaps on his way to shoot baskets or visit a friend's house.

About 15 minutes had gone by when Pickett went upstairs and saw the flashing lights of first responders. He found his son in the house, but his daughter-in-law was gone. That's when he went out to investigate and found her behind the ambulance.

More: Body of male juvenile recovered at pond in Waukee

There was a construction site behind the family's house where Aiden liked to throw stones and play in the dirt. That's what Pickett believes the child was doing when he saw the pond.

Pickett said his son and daughter-in-law have not left their room since the accident, unable to bear the sight of the many photos of Aiden around the house.

"It's a house that was built to celebrate him," he said. "He was their everything."

Grandfather takes charge as parents deal with overwhelming grief

Pickett has shouldered the responsibility of deciding what happens next as well as comforting his son and daughter-in-law, who is seven months pregnant.

"Most of the time they're just laying in bed and they're hugging each other and holding each other, comforting each other," he said. "But sometimes they're crying a lot. Sometimes there's a minute of clarity and acceptance, and then 30 seconds later there's a burst of emotion that I have no way to fix."

Pickett is planning services for his grandson, and a GoFundMe account has been created to help the family pay for memorial costs. It has surpassed its goal of $30,000 with 447 donations. Visit gofundme.com and search for Aiden James-Harrison Smith.

"We'd like to thank the community for all the support that they've given us through this difficult time," Pickett said. "It's such an overwhelming loss that it's hard to fathom, but as a community and friends we're making it day by day."

Iowa DNR warns people that ice is never trustworthy

The temptation of walking on thin ice on river, lakes and ponds is a hazard that claims lives in Iowa almost every year. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources cautions on its website that ice forms at different rates depending on the size and depth of the body of water.

It says ice with a bluish tint is safer than clear ice, and warns people to avoid walking on slushy or honeycombed ice and to avoid dark spots, adding, "Don’t walk into areas where the snow cover looks discolored."

When snow rests on top of ice, its insulating properties increase the probability of weak spots, the DNR says. And it warns: Never go out on ice alone, and always let someone else know where you are going and when you plan to return.

Noelle Alviz-Gransee is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. Follow her on Twitter@NoelleHannika or email her at NAlvizGransee@registermedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Grandfather of Waukee boy who died in icy pond recalls 'heart of gold'