This is the moment a South African snake catcher saves the life of a drowned black mamba on a popular beach by holding it head down so that the seawater comes out of its lungs.

The 2.3-metre (7.5-foot) long snake was captured on Glenashley Beach in the city of Durban in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal earlier this month.

Fishermen spotted the highly-venomous black mamba swimming to shore.

In the footage, snake catcher Jason Arnold is seen using a pole to trap the reptile before grabbing it just below its head.

Curious locals have gathered round as he captures the snake and examines it and he tells them as he holds in his hands: “While it’s hissing, I can hear that water gurgling in its lungs.”

He then lifts up the body and lowers the head and says: “I keep it like this to let the water run out. It’s coming straight out of the lungs and the stomach.”

Arnold said black mambas are not a coastal species, but they have been known to wash up on local beaches.

He said a similar incident took place on Durban’s Addington Beach during lockdown last year.

He said: “I initially got a call from an angler saying, I spotted a large snake riding the waves to get to shore.

The snake catcher added: “I asked if they could send me a photo and sure enough it was a black mamba. I just told them to make sure no one gets close to the snake and to ensure any beachgoers with dogs to keep away.

“They kept an eye on the snake and when I got there the mamba had been dragged back into the ocean by the surf.

“When it eventually got to shore again I could tell it was exhausted but cautious and I was able to determine it was a female black mamba. She initially struggled when I picked her up but eventually settled as she knew I wasn’t there to harm her.”

He said the snake was probably flushed out of a storm drain during a heavy downpour as he spotted an outlet a few metres away on the beach.