This is the dramatic moment passers-by rescued two children from a sinking car - after the driver forgot to put the handbrake on.

The kids' father Raymon Cosio had parked the SUV next to the harbour in Cebu, Philippines, on Wednesday afternoon, and was about to board a ferry.

He then allegedly walked outside with another passenger, Reymund Gascon, leaving the two youngsters in the back seats.

Moments later the car rolled back from the concrete docking area and plunged into the choppy sea.

Onlookers dived into the water and pulled the two youngsters from the silver vehicle before it sank to the sea bed.

Officers said the children were ''traumatised'' but were not seriously injured after the accident in the town of Cordova.

Witness Donna Ramirez said: ''The car rolled off so quickly, before anybody could stop it. I was shocked. It's so fortunate that there were people there to help.''

Police said the the family were supposed to go home from a day of island hopping in the are before the incident happened.

A spokesman from the Cordova Police Station said: ''Residents helped to rescue the passengers from the water. The children were immediately given first aid treatment on site.

''The rescue lasted for several hours including the lifting of the SUV from the ocean using a forklift.''