A heartbroken father has told how his seven-year-old son who was sleeping in a hammock above the River Amazon while he was fishing suddenly screamed and disappeared after apparently being snatched by a caiman and dragged into the water.

The incident took place on the banks of the Solimoes River, part of the Amazon River, in the community of Santa Maria, a rural area of ​​the municipality of Anama, in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, on Wednesday, 30th April.

Filipe da Silva Tinoco, 7, poses in undated photo. He disappeared while fishing with his father on the banks of the Solimoes River, in the municipality of Anama, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash/NX)

The lifeless body of Filipe da Silva Tinoco was only recovered a day later on Thursday, 1st May, after he was apparently snatched by the apex predator.

The victim's family told local media that the child's father had been laying a fishing net to catch fish while his son slept in a hammock that was tied to two trees about a metre above the water.

Moments later, the boy's unnamed father heard a splash followed by his son screaming.

He rushed over to him but only found the hammock, ripped and with no sign of the child.

He immediately suspected a caiman attack, with locals starting a search to find Filipe.

Illustrative image shows caimans in Pantanal, South America. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash/NX)

His lifeless body was located the following day, with his face disfigured by a deep laceration. Local reports also said that there were bite marks on his head and other parts of his body, and his left arm was broken.

Locals said that the area where the boy disappeared is currently full of caimans due to recent flooding.

The authorities are investigating the boy's cause of death.

(Joseph Golder/newsX)