This is the dramatic moment firemen rescued a builder trapped in a 30ft deep sewer in New York.

The construction worker fell into an open manhole near West 170th Street in Washington Heights at around 8:45 am on November 20, prompting onlookers to alert rescuers.

Bodycam footage shows Emergency Service Unit officers from the New York City Police Department securing the area before lowering at least one officer and a firefighter down the shaft.

As the officer prepared to be lowered, one official noted that the metal rungs on the side had rotted, making the descent more difficult.

The team then lifted the injured worker, strapped to a backboard, up to the surface.

Paramedics transported the labourer to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, where he was reported to be in stable condition.