A driver forgot to engage his car's handbrake, leaving it to roll off a dock into the water.

The silver hatchback manoeuvred on its own and plummeted into the water in IJmuiden, Netherlands, on January 20.

CCTV footage shows the man stepping out of the vehicle and walking away while browsing on his phone.

The four-wheeler slowly can be seen trundling towards the side of the dock and disappearing out of sight as it went over the edge.

Emergency services were called to help retrieve the sunken car, which had to be recovered by a specialist team.

Fortunately, it was reported that no one was aboard the car when it happened.

Local media speculated that the car owner's mistake would cost a large sum as car insurance does not cover this type of incident.