A 20-month-old baby boy fell into a pit of sludge and excrement after trying to use a public toilet.

Firefighters were called to rescue the toddler as he lay floundering in the pit in Yanji, north east China.

Chinese loos are typically a hole in the ground.

Still potty training, the boy had lost his balance and screamed for his mother as he tumbled into a pool of sewage.

The 20-month-old boy from Yanji, in China’s Jilin province, tumbled into the pit when he failed to keep his balance

The boy wailed and screamed as he struggled to stand up in the mess.

In a desperate bid to help her child, the mother was found holding a rake down so that he could hold onto it and keep his head above the slurry.

One firefighter had to squeeze himself through the gap wearing a breathing mask to get to the infant.

Once down, he held the boy up so his colleagues to could pull him to safety.

Petrified: The child wailed as he struggled to stand up in the sewage pit waiting for emergency services

A team of firefighters was called to rescue the toddler. The had to force themselves down the small gap

His mother had been holding a rake down the gap to help the boy to keep his head out of the sludge

The boy was carried onto the street where he was washed before being sent to hospital.

The mother, hysterical, was desperate to clean waste from her son’s nostrils, eyes and mouth on the roadside before going to see a doctor.

Aside from feeling somewhat traumatised, the hospital confirmed he did not suffer any injuries in the ordeal.

In China, children are given crotchless underwear before they are old enough to be able to use a toilet.

Due to the nature of the lavatories, it is difficult for young children to keep their balance.

Covered: The boy was in shock as he emerged head-to-toe in urine and faeces after his fall

Clean up: Hysterical mother tries desperately to help her little boy clean waste from his nostrils

They tried to get as much waste out of his eyes and mouth as possible on the street before going to hospital

Read more: Daily News