A US police officer is being hailed as a hero after dramatic vision showing him saving the life of a 14-month-old girl.

Security vision released by Palm Beach Gardens security in Florida, shows every mother's worst nightmare as the girl begins to choke on a chicken nugget.

The girl's mother, Ana Jaramillo de Graham, snatches her from her pram and tries desperately to dislodge it from her windpipe without luck.

Graham then frantically calls for helps, gaining the attention of several bystanders and police officers Robert Ayala and Rafael Guadalupe.

Ayala grabs the child, named Lucia, and turns her face down as the mother looks on hysterically. Several long seconds pass as the officer strikes the child on the back. When that doesn’t work, he strikes harder and the chicken nugget is dislodged.

“She looked at me with her eyes wide open. She tried to do something with her mouth — she couldn’t cough, couldn’t do anything,” Graham told ABC Action News.

“Officer Ayala stepped in, I handed her to him. He sat down and so quickly started performing what he needed to do to make sure she was OK. And I sat on the floor panicked. I just wanted to make sure she was OK.

“They knew exactly what to do to save her life. So, thank you so much officers — because if it wasn’t for you guys, we wouldn’t be here with our Lucia."

The vision has gone viral online, with users commenting on the anxiety-inducing moments before Lucia's life is saved.

Ayala and Guadalupe were honoured by Palm Beach Gardens council along with Lucia’s mother and father.