New details emerge after a mother allegedly tried to drown her sons in the Murray River.

A mother has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly trying to drown her nine-year-old son, while police continuing searching for his missing five-year-old brother.

According to the Riverine Herald, the 27-year-old woman was extradited from Victoria to New South Wales on Friday and was due to appear in Deniliquin Bail Court today.

However, she has chosen to remain in the cells at Deniliquin Police Station and her lawyer will represent her at the hearing.

UPDATE: Mother charged with attempted murder of son in Moama, younger boy missing https://t.co/GvfYqiVsjx pic: AAP pic.twitter.com/aF673AIysa

— ABC News Sydney (@abcnewsSydney) March 3, 2017

The woman’s nine-year-old son remains in a serious condition in Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital and has undergone surgery following a dog bite.

Last night police temporarily called off the search for his five-year-old brother due to bad light, and the search resumed this morning.

The Deniliquin mother appeared in Bendigo Magistrates Court yesterday and sobbed uncontrollably as the details of her alleged crimes were read out.

The court heard how she allegedly told witnesses the night before the incident that she “had to drown my babies”.

The Herald Sun reports that on Wednesday the woman allegedly took the children from their grandparents’ home in Deniliquin, where they had been living for the past 18 months.

On Thursday afternoon the woman arrived at a friend’s property in Moama, on the Victorian side of the Murray River.

The woman allegedly took her children down to the river, where she told her eldest son to get into the water and then she attempted to drown him.

Detective Sergeant Trent Swinton told the court the younger son was screaming during the incident. The older boy managed to struggle free when the woman turned to the younger boy. He was last seen drifting face down in the water.

The search has resumed for a five-year-old boy missing in the #Murray since around 7pm Thursday. – https://t.co/IvWdnFPNcv

— Riverine Herald (@RiverineHerald) March 3, 2017

After escaping, the older boy was reportedly “savagely mauled” by a dog.

The court was told that people on the riverbank heard screams but they did not witness the incident.

Detective Sergeant Swinton told the court that the woman confessed to her crimes, admitting her “intention to kill both children”.

A lawyer for the grandparents said they were “devastated” by the tragedy.

Up to 30 officers searched to no avail until dark last night in the hope the younger boy would be found alive.

The search resumed this morning. According to the Riverine Herald, police and emergency service boats are back on the water and divers are expected to pick up where they left off at dark yesterday.