Two teenage boys have been pulled dead from the Swan River in Perth after diving in to evade police.
As police pursued five boys on foot after reports of teenagers jumping fences in suburban Maylands on Monday afternoon, four of them jumped into the water.
Police captured two, but the other two were spotted struggling in very deep and murky water in the middle of the river.
Flowers sit at the scene of the drownings Source: SBS
Officers swam out in a bid to rescue them but were unable to reach them before they went under.
"Police did not physically come into contact with the two boys who disappeared under water in the middle of the river," Police Commissioner Chris Dawson told reporters on Tuesday.
The first body was recovered in extremely low visibility at 8.30pm on Monday and the second was discovered just before 10am on Tuesday.
Police last saw the fifth teen running along the riverbank and feared he had also jumped in, but he was found safe on Tuesday afternoon.
"He is now with family members," police said in a brief statement.
A coroner will hold an inquest into the deaths because police were present.
"This is nothing short of a tragedy," Mr Dawson said.
Perth's Swan River. Source: AAP
"The loss of any young life is an absolute tragedy."
The two boys who were captured were first treated by paramedics and given dry clothes, then taken into custody and reunited with their families.
While the desperate search for the fifth boy was underway, Mr Dawson said the surviving pair had not been charged with any offences.
"Any matters concerning offending need to be put squarely to one side," he said.
The commissioner called on members of the public to provide any information or CCTV footage that may aid the investigation.
Police said all of the boys were under 18 and declined to release more details at the request of their families.
