The dramatic moment a drowning boy screamed for help, after being hit by a dangerous rip current while bodyboarding off the Cornish coast, has been caught on camera.

His screams were heard by lifeguard Joby Wolfenden-Brown, who paddled out on a rescue board to save the boy in the waters of Crooklets beach in Bude.

The lifeguard's head-mounted GoPro camera captured the moment the exhausted and terrified boy grabbed onto the rescue board, as his bodyboard floats away in the background.

In the video the lifeguard can be heard telling the young bodyboarder: "I'm coming buddy, I'm coming mate."

Lifeguard Joby Wolfenden-Brown paddled out on a rescue board and grabbed the boy, who was exhausted and clearly in a lot of distress. Credit: RNLI/Youtube

The young boy was brought back safely to shore and reunited with his family.

The rescue happened at around 4pm on Tuesday and the RNLI said six people had already been rescued from rips at the popular north Cornwall surfing beach that day.

The young boy was brought to safety and reunited with his family. Credit: RNLI/Youtube

RNLI lifeguard supervisor, Chris Wafer, has given this advice: