This is the dramatic moment an angler who survived for six days drifting alone at sea in a rubber dinghy without food was rescued by fishermen and coast guard officers.

Footage shows rescuers pulling up alongside the inflatable boat, where the exhausted man was lying inside, before helping him onboard in Hainan, China.

One of the rescuers, Chen Dewei, said he was sailing back to Sanya Port when he spotted what he initially thought was a black object floating in the water near Dadonghai Sea.

As he approached, he realised it was an inflatable dinghy and saw a man sit up and shout for help.

Chen said the man explained he had set off from Lingshui Bay in the small boat six days earlier, but bad weather caused it to capsize, leaving him with nothing onboard.

The man was reportedly too weak to move and unable to grasp the rope thrown to him.

Chen and the boat's captain climbed aboard to lift him out, then covered him with a blanket and gave him water.

They contacted the coast guard, who arrived around 20 minutes later but were unable to approach closely due to rough seas.

Instead, the coast guard escorted the fishing vessel back to a nearby dock, where the man, identified as Luo from Shanwei, Guangdong, was taken to the hospital.

Doctors said he was suffering from acute renal failure and pneumonia, caused by dehydration and lack of food.

Luo was admitted unconscious on August 19, but by the following day, he had regained consciousness, was able to talk and eat, and his vital signs were described as generally stable.

His family has since arrived at the hospital, and he remains under observation in intensive care.