A goblin has been blamed for kidnapping an Argentine toddler who ended up in a lagoon – where he almost drowned – before being saved by his dog, which pulled him from the water by his Captain America cape.

The incident took place in the north-eastern Argentine province of Corrientes, at a lagoon just three kilometres from the toddler’s home, on Wednesday, 6th April.

Locals claim that the toddler was kidnapped by a goblin-like creature that is popular in local folklore and is called the ‘Pombero’.

The Pombero is a mythical creature, but this does not stop locals from believing in its existence.

It is said to be a short, hairy and strong, and it is rarely seen, as it can make itself invisible.

The toddler, who has been named as Sebastian, was rescued from the lagoon, after his dog, called Morocho, began barking wildly to attract the attention of nearby adults and was then seen pulling on the three-year-old’s Captain America cape.

A woman, who has not been named, noticed the dog’s barking and was able to locate and rescue the young boy by running over to help the dog.

The young boy’s mother, who has been named as Mariela Escalante and who owns a local butcher’s shop, said that she was working when Sebastian decided to go out and play.

She said: “He was wearing Captain America’s cape and he told me that he was going to look for the comic book character.”

Mariela added: “He didn’t have school that day and I knew that he was on his way to my sister’s place, but he never got there. We live in desperate times.”

The worried mother began looking for her child, going to the neighbours’ houses that he usually visits, but he was not there.

After looking for him for about three hours along with locals, the police received a call from a local, who said that she had found the boy and rescued him from the lagoon.

The woman explained that she was in a field when she heard the dog barking. She followed the sound of the barks and saw Morocho trying to pull his young master out of the water by pulling on his superhero cape.

She promptly rendered assistance, jumping into the water to save the little boy from drowning.

A relieved Mariela was quoted in local media as saying that she and neighbours helping with the search for the missing child are quite sure that the toddler was “kidnapped by ‘El Pomberito’ [the little Pombero]”.

She added that “it is not the first time that a boy gets lost and is found far from where he lives”.

After being rescued from drowning, Sebastian was taken home, where he had a well-deserved siesta. After he woke up, he told his mother that he had gone to “rescue Captain America”.

The young boy was also taken to a local hospital for a medical checkup and was advised to take a hot bath.

His mother also said that she is waiting for the arrival of a priest to perform a new baptism on the young child. It is unclear why, but it could be to celebrate his rescue or to protect him from further kidnapping attempts.

It is currently unclear if the police are investigating the incident.