Six teenagers in the United States wading in the shallows of a Louisiana river have drowned in front of their horrified families after falling into deep water.

None of the teens or nearby adults could swim.

A seventh teen, a 14-year-old boy, was rescued.

Authorities say the teens were playing in shallow water when a 15-year-old boy slipped on a slick clay surface, falling into deeper water.

The other teens rushed to help him, but fell into deeper water as well. None of them knew how to swim.

The deaths happened on Monday in the Red River, in a popular recreational area where sand bars give way to 6-metre depths.

"They had one lifejacket here. As you can imagine, everybody started yelling for help," said Caddo Parish sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick.

Authorities said on Tuesday that three of the youngsters were brothers and the others were two brothers and their younger sister. They ranged in age from 13 to 18.

Marilyn Robinson, a friend of the families, told The Times of Shreveport she watched helplessly as the victims went under.

She said a large group of family and friends, including roughly 20 children, were out at the sandbar to barbecue and have a good time.

They frequent the area and were familiar with the water, Robinson said.

"None of us could swim," she said. "They were yelling 'help me, help me. Somebody please help me.' It was nothing I could do but watch them drown one by one."

The original article can be viewed at the Sydney Morning Herald Website

Associated Press

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