This is the bizarre moment a mobile crane sweeps away a man as its arm swings out and scoops him up from the pavement.

Terrifying security cam footage shows three people chatting by the side of the road in Nanling, Guangdong Province, China, on November 10.

The hook suddenly breaks away from the back of a truck and swings in a lethal-looking arc across the pavement.

As some duck and jump back into a doorway for cover, one man is caught squarely by the flying hook and sent crashing into a parked motor scooter.

The hook continues its swing, pulling both the man and the bike along before they disappear from sight.

The heavy hook swings back alone and dangles above the pavement as groans of agony are heard off-camera, and the footage ends.

Heavily censored Communists state media did not badly the victim was injured in the incident.