This is the shocking moment a toddler plunged down a lift shaft after the door suddenly gave way in front of his parents.

A couple and their two-year-old son were waiting for the elevator when the child leaned on the metal barricade, causing the panel to swing open in Voronezh, Russia.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows the young boy falling into the gap, prompting his father to lunge forward in a desperate attempt to grab him by his winter coat on November 8.

However, the toddler had already fallen six feet into the shaft.

The dad then squeezed through the narrow opening and jumped in after his son, while the terrified mother shone a flashlight from above to help him locate the boy.

Moments later, the man managed to lift the youngster back through the opening.

Neighbours, alerted by the parents' screams, rushed to help and reportedly managed to hold the lift on a higher floor, preventing a potential tragedy.

The father later said the family went straight to the hospital, where doctors confirmed their son was unharmed apart from minor injuries and bruises.

He said: 'The situation was terrifying. We were lucky the neighbours heard the noise and stopped the lift in time. Our son was saved by a miracle.'

Residents have reportedly complained that the lifts in the newly built tower, opened just over a year ago, have been plagued with constant faults.

One added: 'For most of the year, they've hardly worked at all. And when they do, it's scary, there's noise, creaking, and grinding. A new lift shouldn't operate like that.'

Authorities have since launched an investigation into the accident.

The child is now safely back home and, according to his parents, has 'calmed down' after his terrifying ordeal.