This is the heartwarming moment an exhausted monitor lizard found drifting in a reservoir was rescued.

The 4ft-long reptile was trying to reach the other side of the lake but the weather was too hot for it to make the long distance in Lampang province, Thailand, on May 12.

While it drifted to rest and paddled its limbs without success, a passing local on a boat spotted the creature and gave it a lift.

Footage shows the fisherman approaching the tired lizard. It swam towards the boat and apparently wanted to climb up to rest.

Fisherman Passakon said: ‘I always fish around that area, and on that day, I saw the poor lizard in the water. I decided to help it.'

Passakon used a net attached to a long pole to scoop the creature up and sailed back to shore.

He then released the animal into safe grounds, where it crawled away back into its habitat.