This is the heartwarming moment a passerby climbed into a canal to rescue a stranded kitten.

The resident spotted the poor black tabby feline struggling in the water, prompting him to immediately retrieve it in Shanghai, China, on November 16.

Footage shows the kindhearted local leaning over the edge of the bank to reach the soaking-wet moggy. He then managed to lift the cat to safety.

The rescuer said: 'On my way home, I heard a kitten meowing near the river and spotted a drowning kitten.

'I found a stick, hoping it could grab onto it to avoid sinking, but it couldn't. Luckily, there was a crack in the wall nearby, so I nudged it into the crack for safety before climbing down to pull it out.

'While rescuing it, I noticed a larger cat standing on the riverbank, staring into the water—it was probably its mother. After drying the kitten with my socks, I released it into the woods,' he added.