This is the heartwarming moment fishermen and their children rescued five adult pilot whales that were stranded on a beach.

The locals were on the Asluman beach in Antique province, the Philippines when the youngsters noticed the creatures thrashing around in the shallows on July 30.

They rushed over to the animals and lifted them through the surf into the deeper part of the sea, where they could swim away.

Lyka Hermosa, who lives in the fishing village, said she heard the shouts from children who were playing near the water so she came out to have a look.

She said: "I don't know how the whales were trapped, but everyone came by to help them.''

The rescued pilot whales had an average length of five to seven metres each.

Three of the animals were able to swim back to the ocean, while the other two were weak and wounded so the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources took over their rehabilitation.

However, the agency reported a day later (July 31) that one of the five pilot whales died while it was being revived. The other is still being cared for by vets.

Flor Nicson Calawag, a fisheries technologist who does research on the area, said: "They may have been blown off course by the strong currents, which pushed them onto the beach.''