Raleigh, N.C. ? Searchers found the bodies of two young brothers in the Dan River on Friday, three days after the boys disappeared from their grandparents’ home near the storm-swollen stream.

Jacob White, 3, and Jeffrey White Jr., 4, were reported missing Tuesday afternoon from the home near Danbury, about 120 miles west of Raleigh. Police dogs tracked their scents to the nearby river.

The children’s bodies were found about five miles downstream from their home after an around-the-clock search effort along the river and the area’s hilly, rocky terrain.

“It’s definitely a tragedy,” said Brad Cheek, assistant emergency management director for Stokes County. “It’s not the outcome we wanted.”

The boys’ bodies were about 100 yards apart, submerged in the water, said Monty Stevens, Stokes County emergency management director.