A rescue, which is the stuff of nightmares for anyone with arachnophobia, took place in Queensland earlier this week, when a massive spider clinging desperately to a branch was saved from floodwaters.

Video of the incident posted online by Andrea Gofton captured the eight-legged behemoth fighting for its life outside a supermarket in the town of Halifax.

A caring, some would say brave man, then grabs the branch that the spider is holding onto and gently lifts it onto dry land so it can make its escape.