This is the painful moment an actress performing above water was dragged through a pond when the wire holding her up malfunctioned.

The incident was caught on video by a viewer as the female performer was dropped into the water at the scenic spot of Nuoxian Town in Anhui, China, in front of a live audience.

Spectators gasped as the beautiful woman, wearing a long-sleeved white dress was yanked into the pond by the wire meant to help her up while performing as a fairy.

She was dragged for several feet, barely managing to keep her head above the water almost bringing an end to the performance.

But as she made it into the spotlight, she persevered to complete the show, earning applause from the audience.

According toreports, an error made while operating the equipment led to the accident.

A resort spokesman said: 'The performer was not injured, and we will report this to the engineering department.'