This is the heroic moment a quick-thinking bus driver stops his vehicle to help a choking tot by performing the life-saving Heimlich manoeuvre on the side of the road.

Former soldier turned public bus driver George Maycon saw the baby's mum leave the bus with the young girl unresponsive in her arms in the incident in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, on Monday morning, March 31.

Footage, recorded on the bus' security cameras, shows the woman getting off the bus with the choking child, with George quickly following after her.

The video then cuts to a camera on the side of the bus, showing the driver following after the woman, who can be seen tapping on her child's back.

George then grabs the child and does the same thing before performing the Heimlich manoeuvre on the young girl as other concerned passengers join them.

He told local media that he immediately stopped the bus when he heard passengers shouting at him to halt the vehicle.

He added: 'I was in the right place at the right time. I saw the mother's despair and didn't think twice. I remembered the technique and did what needed to be done. Thank God, everything worked out.'

The Rio Lagos company that operates the public bus route praised Maycon's readiness, which has been attributed to his time spent in the country's Armed Forces.

The young girl is reported to have recovered without sustaining serious injuries.

The Heimlich manoeuvre, also known as abdominal thrusts, is a first-aid technique used to help someone choking due to a foreign object obstructing their airway. It is designed to expel the object by creating pressure in the abdomen.