Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

A search for two four-year-old boys who went missing on Friday ended in tears on Saturday when their bodies were retrieved from the Umgeni River in KwaZulu-Natal.

The boys, from the Ngubane and Hlongwane families who are neighbours in Cato Ridge, were found a few metres from their homes.

Police said parents must always know the whereabouts of their children.

Inspector Joey Jeevan said the boys were last seen alive on Friday playing on the banks of the river.

When they did not return home a search was launched.

"After they disappeared their families, with help from the community, launched a search in the nearby bushes on Friday evening and Saturday morning but could not find them," Jeevan said.

"The boys were found after the police joined the search on Saturday afternoon. The bodies of the boys were spotted lodged in the water."

Jeevan said police were concerned because another child drowned in the river last week.

"This second incident shows that the children are unsupervised," Jeevan said.

"We would like to urge parents to be careful and look after their children. You can't allow children as young as four to play along the river."

She said no foul play was suspected, but the circumstances surrounding the incident were being investigated.

Attempts to get a comment from family members were fruitless.