A quick-thinking five-year-old boy from Arizona has been praised as a hero for saving his mother's life after she suffered a seizure and blacked out while showering.

After seeing his mother bleeding from her head in the bathtub last month, Salvatore Cicalese, of San Tan Valley, grabbed his infant sister and ran for help to a neighbor who called 911.

Salvatore's mother, Katelyn Cicalese, survived the seizure and has since recovered, and on Friday, a month after her close call, her son was honored for his bravery by the Rural Metro Fire Department.

Mom's rescuer: Katelyn Cicalese, pictured left with her infant daughter, has her 5-year-old son, Salvatore (pictured right with his sister) to thank for saving her life last month in Arizona

Close call: Cicalese shows where she suffered a seizure while showering and collapsed in the tub after putting her children to bed on March 14

The incident that earned the toddler the nickname 'Super Sal' took place at around 8pm on March 14, just after his mother had tucked him in and put his 2-month-old sister to bed.

Mrs Cicalese went to take a shower but shortly after starting the water, she experienced a seizure and collapsed, striking her head against the tub.

Her son was drifting off to sleep in his bedroom when he heard a thud and went to check on his mom, finding her lying motionless in the shower, with blood trickling from her head wound, reported San Tan Valley News.

Believing that his mother was dying, the boy wrapped his 2-month-old sister in a blanket, placed her on the couch and went to open the garage door, which he reached by climbing a bar stool that he had dragged form the kitchen.

After seeing his mother motionless and bleeding in the tub, Sal grabbed his baby sister and wrapped her in a blanket

The 5-year-old reenacts how he dragged a bar stool from the kitchen and used it to reach the garage door latch (pictured)

Sal, holding his sister in his arms, ran to his neighbor Jessica Penoyer (pictured) for help

He then went back for his sister and carried her to the nearby home of Jessica Penyoer.

Penyoer told ABC15 she was surprised to find her young neighbor on her doorstep at night, and she initially thought he was telling her that his dog died.

‘He said, “No, my mom died in the shower. Can you take care of us?"’ recalled Penoyer.

The woman summoned help and went to the Cicalese family's home, where she found her neighbor Katelyn lying unconscious in the shower, with the water still running.

Pint-sized hero: Sal Cicalese was presented with an honorary firefighter certificate

‘Honestly, he saved my life,’ his mom said. ‘I was under the faucet. If he wouldn't have gotten help, I would I would have drowned.’

Mrs Cicalese has made a complete recovery, but she said her son stills asks her every day if she is OK, or if she is going to die.

On Friday, a Rural Metro Fire truck showed up outside the family's home in San Tan Valley and department spokesperson Shawn Gilleland presented the grinning Sal an honorary firefighter certificate, a patch, a shirt and a helmet in tribute to his valiant actions.