A 20-year-old man has been remanded in custody after appearing in Cleveland Magistrates Court charged with one count each of rape and disabling in order to commit an indictable offence.

The teenager lapsed into unconsciousness after the man allegedly dragged her away from a road by the neck on Macleay Island on Wednesday afternoon, police said in a statement.

The girl had exited a bus near Hamilton Parade when a man she didn’t know allegedly started to follow her and then forced her into nearby bushland, according to police.

At one point the girl became unconscious from the man putting his arm around her neck to drag her into the bushes, police said.

When she came to, she fought back and her alleged attacker ran off.

The girl managed to get help from a nearby resident and a man was arrested in bushland off Cooee Crescent a short time later.

The man did not apply for bail. He is expected to appear in the same court on May 27.