Neighbours pulled off a DIY rescue mission to save a grandmother who became stranded in raging flash flood.

Mercedita Enriquez Salazar, 63, who lives near the Masaba River, was rushing to safety when the rising current surrounded her in Zamboanga Peninsula, the Philippines.

Footage shows Mercedita helplessly clinging to a banana tree as torrents of water rushed around her on June 26.

Worried residents waited along the edge of the river until the flow weakened, then carefully guided her back to higher ground.

Onlooker Crisanto Espinoza said: ‘It happened in Masaba. We did not leave, we waited for the right moment to reach her.'

He added that they contacted authorities, but due to the village's remote location, help would have taken hours to arrive.

The elderly woman stayed calm, holding onto a rope that she tied around her waist in case conditions worsened.

Crisanto can be heard saying: ‘She is stuck. Call someone. I hope we can get her out.'

Mercedita was eventually brought to safety once the storm subsided, though the area was left with muddy roads and debris.

A nearby hut was also damaged, with furniture and fencing swept away by the floodwaters.

The Philippines and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries are entering their annual monsoon season, marked by soaring temperatures followed by intense rainstorms.

The region's low-lying geography, inadequate drainage systems, and rapid urbanisation make it especially vulnerable to flooding.

Limited infrastructure often struggles to handle the heavy rainfall, resulting in widespread flash floods.