This is the heartwarming moment a drowning dog swept away by river after heavy rain was rescued by a man using a boat.

The dog owner called the animal rescuers after his pet fell on the river and floated with the fast tides during severe floods in Sukhothai, northern Thailand on August 22.

As the rescuers were preparing a plan, locals arrived with a canoe to brave the raging Yom River and pull the animal the safety.

Rescue volunteer Liberty Mutine recorded the kindhearted man paddle through the river and save the drowning pooch.

He said: "We had no idea how we could help the dog because the river was too swollen."

The boating pro Pui, who lives in the village by the river, said he is used to racing boats in difficult conditions so he understood how to negotiate the swollen river. He reached the dog after a few minutes and dragged it into his boat.

Pui safely reached the bank with the dog before the rescuers checked on them for any injuries.

The dog was given the nickname Boon Rod which means "lucky survivor" in the local language.

It was taken home by its owner after being checked by the rescuers who were grateful for the boating pro for the help.

Severe floods hit northern Thailand earlier this week after heavy rain caused the Yom River to swell, breaking a dam and overflowing into nearby villages swamping hundreds of homes.