A boy believed to be 19 years old has drowned in the Vaal River near the R82 on Saturday , paramedics said. 

ER24 paramedics, together with the South African Police Service water wing, were called to the scene soon after 2pm by the teenager's friends, ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said.

Upon arrival, the SAPS rescue divers immediately started to search the river.

The SAPS divers managed to recover the boy's body & brought it to the nearby river bank.

Paramedics assessed him & found no signs of life. Nothing more could be done for him & he was declared dead. Local authorities were on the scene to investigate the cause of this incident, Meiring said.