The mother and grandmother of a five-year-old boy drowned while trying to save him in a river.

The boy was paddleboarding near a dam during a family day out in the Spanish village of Baños de Cerrato, in northern Spain, when a powerful current suddenly swept him away.

His 32-year-old mother jumped into the water to rescue him, followed by his 52-year-old grandmother.

Fishermen later discovered the child clinging desperately to a tree trunk.

The tragedy occurred near the Baños de Cerrato dam. The terrified five-year-old was found in the same area as his mother’s body and was rushed to hospital for a check-up. The boy’s uncle was also taken to hospital after suffering a panic attack.

Authorities reported that a 999 emergency call was received at around 6:30pm on Sunday, alerting them that a small child was in difficulty near the dam.

A spokesperson said: “The caller reported that a person was trying to pull the child out of the water but was unable to do so. Firefighters, the Civil Guard, and emergency medical services were immediately dispatched.

“During a follow-up call, the caller informed us that the child had been pulled from the water and that two adult women had died. Emergency services at the scene confirmed the deaths of the two women and reported that the child was safe.”

He added that the Civil Protection and Emergencies Agency of the Regional Government of Castile and León activated the Disaster and Emergency Psychological Intervention Group (GRIPDE) and deployed it to the scene.

Government representative Eduardo Santiago described the incident as “a terrible tragedy” and offered his condolences, saying: “I would like to express my condolences and affection to the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of immense pain.”