Teen Brothers Drown After One Tries to Save the Other in Washington's Spanaway Lake

Central Pierce Fire and Rescue/ Facebook Authorities at Spanaway Lake

A day spent swimming at a Washington lake took a fatal turn for two teenage brothers on Sunday after they both drowned while one was attempting to save the other, according to multiple reports.

The tragic incident unfolded over the weekend at Spanaway Lake as the brothers were swimming in a roped-off, designated swim area using a small flotation device, according to Seattle radio station KOMO and NBC affiliate KING-TV.

Local authorities determined that one brother started having trouble in the water, which prompted the other brother to go in and help him.

"What we surmised is that the first one went under and the second one was calling for help from the water and that’s what alerted people," Sgt. Jake Greger with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said, according to KOMO.

"They did have a flotation toy with them, which I think the second boy abandoned when he dove down to find his brother," Greger added.

As they were attempting to escape, both brothers disappeared under the surface of the water and never made it back up, the local outlets reported.

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In a Facebook post, the Central Pierce Fire & Rescue Department confirmed they showed up to the lake, as well as West Pierce Fire & Rescue, the Metro Dive team from Pierce County Sheriff's Department and the Tacoma Police Department, to locate the missing teens.

Witnesses at the scene were able to help the rescue teams determine the location of the brothers by pointing to the area they were last seen, according to KING-TV.

Eventually, the Central Pierce Fire & Rescue Department confirmed that two children were located, with KING-TV reporting that one brother was located within five minutes of going under, while the other was found 30 minutes later.

The teens were transported to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, according to the Central Pierce Fire & Rescue Department. They died at the hospital, reported KOMO and KING-TV.

On Monday, the victims were identified by local authorities as 14-year-old Hamadi Musa and 15-year-old Ramadani Mberwa, both of Spanaway, according to KOMO.

Authorities said there were no lifeguards on duty at the time of the fatal incident and believe the teen siblings were not strong swimmers and were not wearing life jackets, the local outlets reported.

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Search efforts were difficult for officials due to poor visibility, underwater milfoils (tall grassy weeds) and cold water, which Greger suggested could have contributed to the teens' death.

"We have very cold water in Washington even this time of year and it really zaps your energy and makes it difficult, especially for people who are not strong swimmers," Greger said, according to KOMO.

In the wake of Sunday's tragedy, many people have been sending their condolences to the brothers' loved ones while also urging to take water safety seriously.

"If you're not a strong swimmer, have that personal flotation device, a simple life jacket," Greger said in an interview with KING-TV. "I'm guessing that if that were in play today, we probably would have a different outcome."

Christopher Burns, who witnessed the dive teams pull the teens from the water, added to KOMO: "My heart just goes out to the people who lost kids today, and I have prayers going out to them. My hope is for the families to find peace."