Fishermen rescued a 10-year-old boy who was adrift at sea for 24 hours in a kayak while fishing for squid.

The child had set off from his home in Lingshui village but fell asleep and then drifted 18 miles towards the coast of Hainan, a southern island province of China, where he was found on March 22.

The boy's father, Mr Huang, said his son had gone to the beach the previous day and was expected back by around 9 pm. When there was no news hours later, the family became worried.

Miraculously, the youngster survived the 24-hour ordeal and was rescued by a group of anglers.

Dramatic footage shows the young boy clinging to the green dinghy. The fishing boat approached him, and the responders pulled him aboard along with his fishing rod before lifting the small plastic boat.

The clip then cuts to the boy drinking strawberry milk as the boat motors back to port. The child said: 'I was rowing to go home.'

He was sunburnt and dehydrated but otherwise uninjured and was handed over to his family. The boy often goes to the beach to catch fish and is known to be very playful.

His sister said: 'He is usually very naughty. He goes to the beach to catch fish everywhere. Sometimes he can be annoying when he is naughty.'

She added: 'I'm relieved that my brother has returned safely.'