This is the dramatic moment an onlooker swam over to a struggling child to provide a float.

A family was playing in the water when the boy was swept away by a strong river current, causing him to nearly drown in the Lijiang River, Guangxi, China, on August 8.

Footage captured by Mr Zhou shows a man swimming and police officers aboard a raft paddling towards the distressed child to rescue him, while his parents, who could not swim, shouted for help.

They even threw a lifebuoy near the victim, but he was unable to catch it.

The parents said that their son has already recovered and did not sustain any serious injuries from the incident.

The filmer said: 'The child is really lucky. He was rescued by a man swimming nearby and a police officer on a bamboo raft later.'

Statistics from the National Health Commission and the Ministry of Public Security in China show that around 57,000 people die from drowning each year, with more than half of the victims being under 14 years old.