Dramatic footage has emerged of a man being rescued by a zip line as he stood trapped on a rock in the middle of a turbulent flood.

The man had been fishing in a small stream in Chongqing city in China on Sunday (July 3) when sudden torrential rain caused a fast-flowing flood, CCTV News reported.

He was stranded on a pile of rocks as strong currents battered the Yangtze river.

Rescue personnel can be seen gathered on the bank attempting to pass a life jacket and an inflatable ring to the man via a zip line.

Dressed only in shorts, the man somehow kept his precarious balance on the rock as he pulled the survival gear towards himself and slipped it on.

The team of both civilians and uniformed firefighters then proceeded to pull on the rope to haul him towards safety.

The amazing rescue was complete when a firefighter reached out to pull him towards the bank, sparking well-earned cheers of joy and relief.

Heavy rains have left 128 people dead and 42 others missing in 11 Chinese provinces over the last six days, with more damage feared from a typhoon that is expected to hit the country's south- eastern coast this week.