PHOENIX - Two drownings on the Salt River have pushed the number of drownings there to well above average.
On Saturday, two brothers ages 16 and 24 were picnicking on the beach near Blue Point Bridge. They decided to wade in to cool off and were swept under, officials said.
An onlooker alerted a Salt River Tubing bus driver, who called the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department. Divers later recovered the bodies, said Doug Matteson, a sheriff's deputy.
Officials did not release the identities of the brothers late Sunday because they had not yet notified their families.
Their deaths put to four the number of drownings on the Salt River since June 30. Normally, two to three people drown on the river every year, Matteson said.
Lynda Breault, vice president of Salt River Tubing, said it is common for people who aren't strong swimmers to struggle with the river.
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"It's pretty strong," she said. "If you not a swimmer, you shouldn't be in the river."
