The bodies of two Aboriginal teenage boys have been recovered from Perth's Swan River.
They were part of a group being chased by police on Monday afternoon, and the incident will be treated as deaths in custody.
According to police, officers responded to a call from residents in Maylands that the teenagers were jumping fences and chased the group on foot. The teenagers reportedly ran into the Swan River.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said it is "nothing short of a tragedy".
"Two boys are believed to have got into difficulties in the middle of the river and succumbed to the conditions and were not seen to resurface," he said.
"Police did not physically come into contact with the two boys who disappeared under water in the middle of the river."
The two were part of a group of five teenage boys. Two others entered the river were accounted for, with police initially holding fears for the fifth before confirming he was with family members and calling off the search.
Water police recovered the first body on Monday night, and the second on Tuesday morning.
Investigations are ongoing.
