This dad leaped into action when he found his son had removed his swimming aid and got into the pool, as he instantly struggled to stay afloat but the fire engineer dived in to grab his boy and get him out of the pool.

The home CCTV footage was able to capture the heart-dropping moment that Zachary Petite’s one-year-old son, Cole, was walking around the pool at home in California on May 16.

Cole felt the need to remove his lifejacket and then proceed to sit down and get into the water.

As soon as Cole was submerged in the pool, it was clear that he could not support himself and began to struggle, at which point Zachery darted to the pool edge and reached into the water and pulled Cole out of the danger of drowning.

“The video is a sobering reminder that a water emergency can happen to anyone at anytime in a matter of seconds. Even though both parents took all the proper precautions including a gate around the pool, motion activated video monitoring and an appropriate PFD, their son still managed to take off his PFD and get in the water,” Hemet Fire wrote alongside the video on Facebook.

“Thankfully, Zack was close by and only had his back turned for a matter of seconds while tending to his middle child on the pool deck. Zack quickly recognised what had occurred and was able to rescue his son,” Hemet Fire wrote.

“Our hope is that by sharing this video, we send a humble and strong message to all. Even though young Cole Petite managed to find his way into the water without being noticed, Zack and Jessica’s proactive approach to pool safety is the reason their son survived,” Hemet Fire wrote. “Children drown without a sound, please watch the water."