Two brothers, 7 and 9 years old, drown in the lake in Germany

Two British children, brothers, lost their lives after drowning in Lake Simmarth, near Aachen, in western Germany.

The boys, brothers, seven and nine years of age, had gone with their family on vacation to the Netherlands. The natural lake in Simmerath, near borders with the Netherlands and Belgium, is a highly frequent destination for local residents and tourists.

Parents reported the children's disappearance Thursday night.

Witnesses reported seeing a group of people panicking shortly after 6:00 Thursday, when it was discovered that the boys were missing.

A few hours later, the boys were found and managed to get out of the water. They were taken to the hospital, but despite medical assistance they did not survive, and on Friday morning they were declared dead, they wrote local media.

Unconfirmed reports say they were unable to swim.

German police said they are trying to find out if we are dealing with a criminal offense, including negligence.

The lake is monitored by volunteer rescuers, but only on weekends.

The family had been on vacation in the Netherlands before traveling to Germany. /oranews. tv/