Four students drowned in a river in Ordos, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Saturday while trying to save a student who had fallen into the water.

Twelve students from Inner Mongolia University’s Ordos College were picnicking beside the Ulan Mulun River on Saturday when one fell in.

The other 11 tried to pull the student from the water, but five more fell in.

The local police, firefighters and emergency workers arrived at the scene, and two students were rescued. The other 4 students were confirmed dead at the scene.