One by one and tied together with ropes for safety, the firefighters broke through the ice to get close to the stranded boys. [Photo/CFP]

Seven firefighters braved freezing waters to rescue two boys who fell into a hole on a partially frozen river Saturday in Guyuan city, Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Chinanews.com reported.

The two boys, both 6 years old, were playing on the ice's surface when the accident happened. To rescue them, the firefighters, one by one, broke through the ice to get close to the stranded boys. The firefighters were tied together with ropes for safety. The deepest part of the river is over 2 meters deep, with mud and strong currents. These, added to the icy temperature, made it difficult for them to continue breaking through the ice.

After 20 minutes of effort they rescued the boys, who were later taken to the hospital by ambulance. The boys are now in stable condition.