This young couple has died after jumping into a river to save the woman’s two children and being swept away themselves after rescuing them.

Maria Arianna Christina Pereira Costa, 30, and her boyfriend Gilmar Soares de Melo, 26, drowned in the Parnaiba River in the village of Sao Cristovao in a rural area of the municipality of Timon in the north-eastern Brazilian state of Maranhao on Sunday, 8th August.

According to the fire brigade, the two jumped into the river to save Maria Arianna’s two children from drowning when they spotted them in difficulty in the water.

They both jumped in to rescue them and Gilmar managed to pull them ashore to safety. However, he had to reenter the water when Maria Arianna found herself unable to get out. A short while later, both ended up disappearing beneath the water’s surface.

The two children were uninjured in the incident. The fire brigade went to the scene immediately but were only able to start the search for the missing adults the following morning.

The next day they successfully recovered the two bodies, which were identified by family members.

No details were given about their funerals.

Netizens were quick to hail the pair as heroes, with Facebook user Edval Pereira commenting: “My God, what a tragedy! They saved the children, but then they left us. What a true father and mother can do for their children! May the energies of light guide their spirits to the path of light. Only God knows the time and destiny of each human being.”