A seven-year-old boy drowned while trying to cross the Enembe River in Sundumbili, Mandeni, yesterday.

He and his 16-year-old sister were reportedly following their uncle but the boy got swept away when entering the river.

Samantha Meyrick of IPSS Medical Rescue said they and the Rural Metro Fire Department found the boy’s body about 50m from where he tried to cross. She warned residents, especially those with young children, to avoid crossing flooding rivers at low bridges and places not meant for crossing.

This incident comes after an eight-year-old girl got swept away when she tried to cross a flooding Mandeni River on December 26.

Heavy rains in KZN filled up many rivers and Meyrick urged people not to cross flooding rivers.