This is the heartbreaking moment a man frantically swims after a car was washed away by a river with the driver trapped inside.

The vehicle was crossing the river while it was swollen from heavy rains and thunderstorms in Cavite, the Philippines, on June 19.

However, the white SUV was dragged away by the powerful current with the driver trapped inside.

Brave passerby Jayson Acula leaped into the torrent and tried to catch up with the black car to help free the driver.

Despite Jayson's heroic efforts the car disappeared upstream and he was forced to breathlessly clamber onto the muddy banks.

Jayson said: ''I would have regretted it forever if I hadn't tried to save the poor man stuck inside. I'm devastated that I couldn't do more.''

Jayson's sister, Sheryl, recorded the incident from the river bank.

She said: "We first heard the old man shouting for help before we saw his car on the river.

"My brother nearly drowned trying to go after the car. It saddens us to have witnessed what happened."

After the rescue attempt, Jayson and Sheryl went to the village authorities to get more help.

She added: "We don't know what happened after, but the man is already being searched for by the authorities."