This is the moment two people narrowly escape being pulled down by their fishing boat as it sank in the freezing cold waters off the coast of North Carolina.

Sea conditions with a heavy swell made the rescue for the US coast difficult after they responded to a commercial fishing vessel in difficulty.

By the time they arrived, the vessel had only a few seconds left above water and the Coast Guard to rescue the two men seen in these images.

The fishing boat then seems underwater with cables and boxes of equipment threatening to snag the man and drag them underwater at any stage.

Fortunately, they managed to escape being caught and were eventually hauled onto the Coast Guard boat following the rescue approximately five miles from Engelhard, North Carolina.

They posted an online note to say that the rescue of two people happened “as the boat *literally* went down”.