A 13-year-old boy died after being caught in waist-deep floodwaters, in a gully, while playing with friends outside an apartment complex, said Mount Airy Volunteer Fire Company.

"Despite their heroic efforts, the operation transitioned from a rescue to a recovery," the town's police chief said.

Police cordoned off the area with yellow caution tape where a 13-year-old boy was found dead after being swept into a drain. Footage shows officers attending to the scene where the body of a youngster was retrieved in Mount Airy,