This young boy has been hailed as a hero after he jumped into his swimming pool at night to save his 11-stone pet rottweiler, which had accidentally fallen in, from drowning.

The incident took place at the boy’s family home in the neighbourhood of Morada de Laranjeiras in the Brazilian municipality of Serra on the night of Friday, 25th June.

Security camera footage shows how the 70-kilogramme (11-st) rottweiler can be seen loitering at the edge of the outdoor swimming pool trying to retrieve the ball it had been playing with.

However, it can be seen losing its balance and taking a tumble into the water, where it starts to visibly struggle to keep itself afloat.

Matheus Felipe, 11, was watching cartoons inside his house at the time, but heard a commotion coming from the garden, where he immediately headed.

The recording shows how the youngster jumps into the pool fully clothed and uses all the strength he can muster to push his beloved pet back up onto the poolside and out of harm’s way.

He can then be seen standing on the pool steps praying to God to give his thanks as his pet dog, named Nitro, licks him.

The youngster later told newspaper A Gazeta: “I didn’t know what needed to be done, so I went there and jumped in. It was freezing that day.

“I jumped in in socks, shorts and a top. He’s a great friend to me; I’ve cried a lot with him. When he got out of the water, he started licking me as if to say ‘thank you’.”

Young Matheus has since been hailed as a hero, not least because he managed to push his pet rottweiler to safety all on his own, despite it weighing twice as much as him.

Matheus’ parents were at home at the time, but were upstairs when the incident unfolded. They are very proud of their son’s actions.

Although dogs can swim, some breeds can tire quickly and drown from exhaustion.