A mother of four children was swept down the Berg River in Paarl, Cape Town after she managed to rescue her children from the strong waters on Sunday, said paramedics.

Her children were playing in the river when they suddenly experienced difficulty, said ER24 spokesman Werner Vermaak.

"The aunt explained to paramedics that she and the mother of the children managed to pull three of them out of the water, the fourth managed to escape unharmed," said Vermaak.

The three children were barely breathing when they were taken out of the water but the aunt performed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on them with the help of the child who escaped unharmed.

The children were awake but disorientated when paramedics arrived.

"The mother was swept down the river while she tried to save them from the water," said Vermaak.

Police and rescue divers were searching for her while the children were transported to the Paarl Provincial Hospital for further care.