A man in Ireland is being dubbed a "hero" by family members for saving a cygnet who was separated from its family.

The clip, filmed on May 9, shows Josh Wiler jumping into the trench next to the pond in an attempt to save the baby swan and return it back to its family in the pond.

Josh's girlfriend Marie told Newsflare: "The family were drifting close to the gap when they changed course and turned back. The cygnet was at the end of the group and accidentally fell down the drain.

"Josh, in an instant went to find somewhere he could jump down, he then slowly and quietly tries to approach the crying cygnet to rescue it."

Josh manages to entice the cygnet to a corner where he can easily grab it and put it back into the water to be reunited with its family.