This is the moment an off-roader tries to cross a river in an SUV and ends up sinking the vehicle halfway across before drowning.

The incident was filmed near the city of Zalantun in the Chinese region of Inner Mongolia on 18th June.

According to the news site Toutiao, the driver – who drowned at the scene – and a passenger tried to cross the river in the SUV, but ended up sinking halfway across.

In the footage, the two men are seen climbing out of the vehicle as it sinks before flapping wildly in the water to stay afloat.

The driver, wearing a black top, then disappears from view and the passenger, wearing a white shirt, is seen alone in the water as help arrives.

At the end of the clip, a helper in a lifejacket is seen bringing a spare jacket to the passenger as a woman sobs in the background, apparently for the missing driver.

According to Toutiao, the driver drowned in the river while the passenger was safely taken to shore and received medical treatment.

The driver’s dead body was removed from the river on the same day while the SUV was salvaged on 19th June.

Reports said that the deceased man was not the owner of the vehicle.

An off-roader told local media that the drowned man came from the neighbouring province of Heilongjiang and had been taking part in the activity for several years.

It is unclear if the local authorities are investigating the incident.