This is the dramatic moment villagers rescued a boy being swept away by powerful currents in a reservoir.

The youngster, 8, had gone for a dip in the Phimai Dam when he was caught in the churning waters in Nakhon Ratchasima, northeast Thailand, on Sunday.

Locals fishing nearby heard frantic screams and ran toward the dam, where they found the child desperately clinging onto a concrete pillar to keep himself from being dragged under.

They rushed over and lowered a rope toward the boy as the roaring whirlpool threatened to wash him away.

Footage shows the child grabbing onto the rescue equipment. He then swam toward another concrete surface and climbed up a steel ladder to safety.

The boy said he had jumped into the reservoir to cool off from the heat, but was quickly overwhelmed by the force of the water.