Two young brothers drown in iLembe River
A family from the iLembe District, north of Durban has been left devastated after two young brothers drowned in a river near their home.
It is understood the boys aged five and six-years drowned yesterday evening while swimming.
It is still unclear what caused the boys to get into difficulty in the water.
A third boy had also been swimming with the brothers.
He returned to the home to tell the brothers' mother they were in the water.
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IPSS Medical Rescue's Paul Herbst says community members managed to help the family recover the bodies from the river before emergency services reached the scene.
''Unfortunately, by the time IPSS Medical Rescue paramedics arrived together with police search and rescue it was too late, there was nothing we could do for the two boys.
''Our Advanced life support paramedics declared [the boys dead on scene]. It's a very sad case indeed,'' he said.
The third boy, also six-years-old, was taken to hospital with near drowning symptoms.
(File photo: KZN EMS)