'Mum died in the shower, can you take care of us?' - boy tells neighbour

  • 20/04/2017
Salvatore Cicalese's family
(Supplied)

A five-year-old Arizona boy has saved his mother's life after running to his neighbour's with his baby sister in his arms to say: "My mom died in the shower. Can you take care of us?"

San Tan Valley woman Jessica Penoyer was shocked to find young Salvatore Cicalese at her door, holding his two-month-old sister.

"He's standing there and holding something and I thought it was a doll," Ms Penoyer told ABC News.

She called 911 and rushed next door to find Salvatore's mother was still alive, but had had a seizure and collapsed in the shower.

"Honestly, he saved my life, because I was under the faucet [tap] and if he wouldn't have got help, I don't know, I would have drowned," Kaitlyn Cicalese told ABC.

When Sal heard his mother fall, and discovered something was wrong, the young boy dragged a bar stool to climb up and flick the switch to open the garage door. He says he fell off first, but was successful when he tried again.

"Every day is a challenge for us. He asks me, probably, a billion times if I'm going to be OK," Ms Cicalese says.

"He'll tell me, 'are you going to have another seizure?' 'No, I'm okay.' 'Are you going to die today?' 'No, I'm not going to die today.'"

Sal has been recognised for his bravery by the local fire brigade who have dubbed him an 'honorary firefighter'.

Newshub.