This is the dramatic moment a girl was rescued from the churning sea during a storm in Thailand.

Alisa Ruengrook, 14, had been walking with her friends along the beach embankment when a large wave struck and dragged her into the waters in Hat Sai Kaeo in Songkhla, Thailand, on November 17. Her companions managed to escape and called authorities for help.

Dramatic footage shows waves crashing violently onto the shore as the girl battled to stay afloat.

Rescuers threw life preservers, a vest, and a rope toward the youngster, but they floated away due to the strong currents.

Luckily, brave Alisa managed to grab onto a rope, which volunteers used to pull her back onto the shore. The rescue took 20 minutes.

Authorities said the waves had reached up to 10ft high during the storm, but Alisa, a fisherman's daughter, managed to survive thanks to her swimming skills.

Alisa was taken to the Songkhla Hospital for treatment. She said: 'I was just walking with my friends when a wave struck, causing me to fall into the sea. I was stranded there for around 20 minutes. I thought she wouldn't survive. I kept thinking about my mother.'

Alisa's relieved mum Benjawan Yiamkamnuan said she was returning home from work when she was informed that her daughter had been taken to the hospital.

She said: 'I was shocked when I was told to go to the hospital immediately. But when I got there, I was relieved to see Alisa was fine, like nothing was wrong with her. I'm grateful to everyone involved in her rescue.'

Local officials said they have fixed red flags al;ong the beach to warn tourists not to swim in the area. It came as meteorologists warned that provinces in the south of Thailand were likely to be hit by floods.

Officials from the National Water Resources Office said a low pressure cell over the Malaysian coastline would cause including isolated heavy showers in Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat.