A mother wants parents to be mindful when their children play on McArthur Island after teenagers beat up her two young boys.

“Regardless of whatever my children may have said, these boys are teenagers. What are they doing beating on a seven- and nine-year-old child?” Michelle Rose asked Tuesday.

The boys, Isaac, 9, and Devon, 7, showed off the cuts and bruises they suffered at the hands of the youths, who are believed to be in their early teens.

Isaac and Devon, along with sister Justine, 11, younger brother Evan, 5, and three friends were on the beach near the island’s BMX track Monday afternoon.

Isaac said Devon found a dead fish floating in the river and was poking it with a stick when the teenagers appeared.

The teens told the boys to stop poking the fish. When Isaac asked the older boys what the big deal was the teens walked over and shoved him, he said.

Some punches were thrown. Isaac was hit at least once. He said one of the teenagers held Devon’s arms behind his back while the other youth punched him.

Devon said he was dropped to the ground and kneed in face.

When Evan told the boys he was going to run and get his mom, the attackers threatened to hurt their mom and dad, said Justine. The attack ended when one of Isaac’s friends phoned the police on a cellphone. The teenagers were gone by the time RCMP arrived.

Rose was at home when a constable phoned and told her about the attack. She said her children were in an ambulance and visibly shaken when she arrived.

“Devon was almost in tears,” she said.

RCMP patrolled the island, but could not find the teens. Const. Rose Dunsmore said the age of the parties involved and severity of the violence is alarming.

“It is quite odd to see an assault like that take place, especially on such young children,” she said.

The BMX track has always been a safe place for the children to play, which is why Rose allows them to go there with groups of friends, she said.

“I’ve never had an issue with them going there,” said Rose.

She hopes police will find and charge the teens before another group of children are attacked. Dunsmore said the youths could be charged with assault.

One youth was about four feet eight inches tall, wore a black hoodie and jeans and had blond hair and brown eyes. The other wore a brown hoodie, had curly hair and blue eyes, and was about four feet six inches tall.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to phone Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.