A 53-year-old man has died while trying to rescue his son from drowning in the Upper Palatinate region of Bavaria, police in Germany said on Sunday.

The undisclosed man’s six-year-old son had fallen in the water while playing in the river Regen on Saturday, police said.

The 53-year-old and two other acquaintances jumped in after the boy, but they all had to be pulled out of the water by bystanders, NAN reports.

The father and son were unconscious and had to be revived at the scene before being taken to hospital in the evening, where the 53-year-old died.

The boy meanwhile was on the mend after arriving in critical condition, a police spokesperson said.

The two other acquaintances were also taken to hospital.